In the wake of the devastating eruption of Mt. Kanlaon on December 9, 2024, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has pledged ongoing support to the farmers of Negros Island, where agricultural losses have soared to PHP913.026 million. The eruption’s impact was felt across Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, affecting a total of 4,066 farmers in the regions.
The DA’s report, released on February 10, 2025, detailed the severe damage to crops and livestock. In Negros Occidental, losses amounted to PHP130.528 million, while in Negros Oriental, the figure reached PHP782.498 million. The cities of Bago, La Carlota, and Canlaon, along with the municipality of La Castellana, were the hardest hit.
Jose Albert Barrogo, the DA-NIR’s Officer-in-Charge Regional Executive Officer, announced that immediate assistance in the form of seeds, fertilizers, livestock, and other essential farm inputs would be provided to the displaced farmers as soon as they can return to their lands. The rehabilitation program also includes alternative livelihood assistance and infrastructure projects like trading posts and farm-to-market roads.
In Negros Occidental, high-value crop farmers suffered the most significant losses, totaling PHP124.931 million, affecting 1,168 farmers. Rice production losses were reported at PHP4.192 million, impacting 229 farmers, while livestock and poultry losses reached PHP900,100, affecting 49 farmers. Corn losses were at PHP503,352, affecting 15 farmers.
Negros Oriental saw the high-value crops sector incur the largest loss at PHP735.179 million, affecting 1,850 farmers. Rice losses were PHP45.794 million, affecting 635 farmers, and corn losses were PHP1.524 million, affecting 114 farmers.
The DA’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center has outlined various interventions for the affected farmers, including agricultural inputs like rice and corn seeds, and drugs and biologics for livestock from DA-Western Visayas. Additional support includes a quick response fund for rehabilitation, loans up to PHP25,000 from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council’s Survival and Recovery Loan Program, and indemnification through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation.
In La Castellana, the most affected area in Negros Occidental, the local government has launched a vegetable seed production project to help farmers cultivate seeds for local food supply and income generation. Meanwhile, in Bago City, the leading rice-producing area in Negros Occidental, rehabilitation efforts are underway, with standby organic fertilizers, vegetable seeds, and planting materials for coffee, banana, and cacao available for replanting, according to City Agriculturist Marvin John Blance.