Typhoon Fung Wong, which hit the Philippines over the weekend, caused more than 142 million Philippine pesos (about $2.4 million) in damage to the country's agriculture sector, the Inquirer newspaper reported, citing data from the country's Department of Agriculture.
The damage is equivalent to the loss of more than 8,200 tons of agricultural produce. Rice accounted for the largest share of the damage, at more than 116.3 million Philippine pesos (about $1.97 million), or approximately 6,800 tons. Corn and other crops accounted for the rest. The typhoon affected over 2,400 hectares of agricultural land.
The ministry also announced the release of over 380 million Philippine pesos (approximately 6.45 million USD) to help farmers affected by the typhoon.
Typhoon Fung Wong hit the Philippines on November 9. According to the latest reports, the storm has claimed at least 18 lives, injured 28 others, and two are missing. More than 1.4 million Filipinos have been evacuated. Gusty winds damaged power lines, leaving approximately 3 million consumers without power in 12 regions of the country.
