Santa Marcela, Apayao gets P10.4M free seeds for STY Egay hit farmers

Santa Marcela, Apayao- A total of 2,144 bags of hybrid corn seeds amounting to P10,461,806 were delivered to the 453 Super typhoon Egay affected farmers in the municipality of Santa Marcela on Wednesday, January 17.

With it, the farmers' input cost will be lessened. It is expected that the quality seeds will also bring about a good harvest.

This initiative is aligned with the Department of Agriculture's (DA) economic recovery efforts through its quick response fund, enabling the local farmers to recover from the devastation brought by calamities to their agricultural productions.

In a report from the Municipal Agriculture Office, the record showed that last July 2023, Egay destroyed over 1,185 hectares across its 13 barangays, equivalent to P67,876,650 cost of damage.

The data revealed that barangay Barocboc had the most impacted farmers, with 180 (425.75 hectares). This was followed by San Mariano with 98 (214.25 hectares), Sipa with 46 (110.75hectares), Consuelo with 40 (105 hectares), Marcela with 24 (55.50 hectares), Imelda with 14 (25.25hectares), San Antonio with 13 (33.25 hectares), Malekkeg with 10 (23hectares), Panay with 8 (23.25 hectares), San Carlos with 8 (29.50hectares), Nueva with 6 (11 hectares), Emilian with 3 (10.50 hectares), and San Juan with 3 (5 hectares).

This figure served as the DA basis for the provision of the current rehabilitation and recovery program that benefited said affected farmers in the municipality.

Recognizing the significance of this intervention, Mayor Evelyn Martinez and Vice-Mayor Rolly Guiang expressed gratitude to the DA for its support to their constituents, stating that it would substantially improve and accelerate the recovery of their agricultural losses.