BALANGA CITY – Ompong wrought damage to rice crops planted in about 10,000 hectares of lands in Bataan with harvest estimated to decrease by 80 percent, the provincial agriculture office said Sunday.
Provincial agriculturist Johanna Dizon said strong winds affected rice crops in the flowering stage (pamumulaklak) in 8,078.5 hectares and the rest in their milk dough stage (pagmamalagatas).
Dizon and city supervising agriculturist Ronie Lopez inspected portions of damaged palay in Balanga City.
They showed palay in milk dough stage that lodged (humapay). They said it could not be harvested because the palay were still green.
“Nasa pagmamalagatas ang dumapang palay,” Dizon said.
Even high breed rice in the flowering stage were not spared from the wrath of the typhoon.
Lopez said palay in the flowering stage are greatly affected by strong winds. “Nagkakaroon ng disruption, ang fertilization hindi nabubuo. Ibig sabihin nagiging tulyapis paglabas, hindi nagkakaroon ng butil dahil napagpag ng hangin at ulan,” he said.
He said that of the 1,200 hectares planted to rice in Balanga City, 70 to 80 hectares are in the flowering stage. “Maapektuhan ang ani.”
Dizon said about 60 percent of the standing crops in Bataan or more than 8,000 hectares are in the flowering stage. There are more than 14,000 hectares planted to rice this season in the 11 towns and one city of the province.
“Napapagpag ng malakas na hangin ang pollen at hindi naglalaman. Kapag inani doon malalaman ang epekto. Bababa ng halos 80 porsiyento sa inaasahang ani. Hindi maglalaman, nalalaglag ang mga bulaklak at hindi nagkakaroon ng fertilization,” the provincial agriculturist said.
She said that palay in the flowering stage are more affected by strong winds.
Dizon could not yet give an estimate of the damage to rice crops, saying they will make a thorough assessment within the week.
So far, she said, that only Balanga has submitted a report of more than P1.3 million in damage to rice crops.
