Succeeding Typhoons Nika and Ofel added losses of P248.47 million to the total, with high-value crops (P97.72 million) and rice (P49.08 million) accounting for most of the damage. Farmers and fishers groups, however, reiterated their call for the government to stop rice and fish imports, noting that these did not result in lower prices. Instead, they called for additional support for their members, who were also reeling from losses due to the recent typhoons. The KMP is against the government’s plan to import more rice to offset the losses due to typhoons, with rice imports for this year possibly reaching around 4.5 million metric tons (MT), according to the DA. “Instead of directly supporting local farmers to recover from the damages caused by recent typhoons, the government is relying on imports,” it said in a statement.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer November 19, 2024 03:19 UTC