Skip to main content

PCA to help Nina-affected coconut farmers

Countries
Philippines
Sources
Govt. Philippines
Publication date
Origin
View original

QUEZON PROVINCE, Jan. 4 - Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Administrator Billy Andal promised to aid all the coconut farmers to help them get back on their feet after experiencing the devastating typhoon Nina.

“We are really devastated when we heard the news. Imagine losing thousands or even million-worth of your crop? We lost hundreds of thousands of coconut trees at a time when we are trying to plant more to replace the senile and damaged trees of the past,” stressed Andal.

The agency will help the farmers in the debris management that involves proper disposal of fallen coconut trees to clear public and private lands of the debris that pose as hazard to the environment and health and pave the way for new seedlings.

The PCA Administrator personally visited the severely damaged areas in Quezon province to monitor the condition of the farmers, communities and the coconut trees damaged by typhoon Nina (international name: Nock-Ten).

Andal, together with Department of Agriculture Sec. Manny Piñol, Department of Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre, PCA Deputy Administrator Roel Rosales and Regional Manager Erlene Manohar of Region 4A, surveyed the affected areas specially in the 2nd and 3rd district of the province particularly Mulanay, San Narciso and San Andres.

“We are here to assess the condition of the typhoon affected coconut trees and farmers; we have to identify the trees that can be saved and the trees that should be cut down,” said Andal.

“We also have to know if they need some re-planting or inter-cropping so that we can assist the coco farmers of their needs,” he added.

Strong winds with heavy rain pounded the Quezon province early Monday this week and damaged 3,787,749 coconut trees with an estimated cost of P69,772,724.

According to the preliminary report of PCA on the damages to coconut industry brought by typhoon Nina, the estimated number of coconut trees damaged in Camarines Sur covering districts 4 and 5 has reached 3,827,716, the total damage in Bicol is 9,010,655, while the estimated cost of damage in Batangas has reached P509,920, P182,188 in Cavite, P309,760 in Oriental Mindoro and P128,000,000 in Marinduque. (PCA)