The government will release P33 million in assistance this month to banana farmers in the Davao Region and Compostela Valley affected by Typhoon Pablo, the Department of Agriculture's High Value Crops Division announced over the weekend.
The first tranche of the assistance package will be distributed to slightly more than half of the total hectarage destroyed by the typhoon
According to the division's report, 6,468 hectares of both small and corporate farms were destroyed in Compostela Valley and 4,430 in Davao del Norte, but only 3,800 hectares of the former and 2,000 of the latter have been approved to receive assistance.
An assistance package consists of P5,750 in funds for clearing operations, farm tools and four bags of fertilizer.
The funds will be made available to Cavendish banana growers to help the subsector meet its export commitments. Region XI reports show that export commitments to traditional markets will be severely affected since the plan includes sourcing out bananas from independent producers.
The DA advised the farmers to seek further assistance from loan packages being offered by financial institutions. — BM, GMA News
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