MAITUM, Sarangani – Davao del Norte has indicated its intention to expand coverage of farm insurance to include all high value crops that were affected by seasonal flooding.
The provincial information office said Governor Anthony del Rosario already expressed his intention “to indemnify all vulnerable farms with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) to protect farmers against losses due to floods, infestations and diseases.”
“Congratulations. I admire the initiative of Del Rosario. It should be the local governments which should lead the way,” Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol. Piñol said in his meeting with officials and farmer’s organizations of local government units affected by flooding in the Davao Region and Caraga.
It was held at the Capitol of Compostela Valley.
Davao del Norte is the first province in Mindanao to insure farms in 2013, allocating P1.34 million to enroll some 2,000 hectares of rice lands with the PCIC, the information office said.
Piñol assured local officials and farmers of his approval of the proposed agriculture recovery budgets presented by the regions upon validation.
The provinces in the Davao Region requested an initial recovery budget of P39,393,260, to rehabilitate farmlands submerged by massive flooding caused by over a week of intermittent heavy rains.
Davao del Norte asked for the biggest rehabilitation fund of P39,393,260, after incurring initial damages to crops, livestock and fisheries worth P29.8 million, the information office said.
Piñol also offered immediate assistance to areas affected by the recent floods that severely affected low-lying towns in Davao region particularly in the provinces of Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.