News Details

DA Ramps Up Agri Monitoring as ‘Opong’ Threatens Wider Crop Damage

NPO

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September 29, 2025

MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has stepped up monitoring of potential agricultural losses as Severe Tropical Storm Opong (international name Bualoi) threatens broader areas than previous weather disturbances.

In a phone interview on Friday, DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said the agency released multiple advisories before Opong’s landfall to ensure that mature crops are harvested and secured ahead of the storm.

“Opong poses a wider potential impact, affecting areas from Eastern Visayas to Central Luzon,” De Mesa said. “We are closely monitoring the situation to mitigate losses in palay (unhusked rice), corn, and high-value crops across various regions.”

Other vulnerable areas include Bicol, Central and Western Visayas, and Southern Tagalog.

Despite the threat, De Mesa assured the public that rice prices are unlikely to spike, citing strong palay harvests in the first semester, adequate imports prior to the 60-day import ban, and ongoing wet-season peak harvests.

“Our main concern is vegetables,” he added, noting that previous storms such as Nando already affected northern areas, and Opong may hit vegetable farms in Bicol, Southern Tagalog, and Central Luzon.

Although the movement of agricultural goods remains largely uninterrupted, a temporary 10–15 percent increase in vegetable prices is possible due to supply disruptions. Prices typically stabilize within two weeks as alternative supplies arrive.

NPO News Team | PNA-PR