IRRI and Philippine DA Assess Rice Damage in Areas Affected by Typhoon Haiyan

About 10 percent of the Philippine rice production is from areas affected by Typhoon Haiyan, according to International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) economist Samarendu Mohanty. Leyte, the Philippine province that had the worst damage by the typhoon, is a Category II rice–producing province, meaning it has more than 100,000 hectares of land devoted to rice. IRRI and the Philippine Department of Agriculture are currently assessing the damage of the typhoon in rice production and it will take more time to determine the full extent of the damage. Most of the rice crop in the typhoon-affected areas have been harvested before the typhoon hit the country. Thus, the most serious damages would be in the farm machinery, storage, and irrigation, which were caused by the storm surge. IRRI and DA will distribute flood tolerant rice or "scuba rice" to the farmers of affected areas. IRRI continues to develop varieties of rice that are more resistant to extreme weather conditions.

Read the original article at http://irri.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=12692:post-typhoon-rice-damage-assessed-in-philippines&lang=en.