Agri losses due to calamities hit P57.8 billion in 2024

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El Niño brought the most harm in 2024 to the sector, causing at least P15-billion worth of agricultural damage

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) recorded agricultural production loss of P57,783,792,789 in 2024 due to El Niño, pests and diseases, volcanic activities, and tropical cyclones.

In 2024, at least 1,407,893 farmers and fisherfolk weathered these calamities as the year opened with dry spells and ended with back-to-back storms and volcanic activities in Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Island.

“This is one of the biggest na losses recorded in the sector, if my memory serves me right,” DA spokesman Arnel de Mesa said in a mix of Filipino and English during a briefing on Tuesday, January 28.

Palay output alone, said De Mesa, declined by almost one million metric tons.

El Niño’s dry spells wreaked the most damage to agricultural output, accounting for P15,657,817,238 of total output loss.

According to De Mesa, El Niño years usually affect productivity.

“1997-1998 is also one of the worst El Niño years,” De Mesa said. “We had very sharp decrease in our production.”

In between weather disturbances, crops suffered from onion armyworm, rice blast infestations, hopper burn, and fall armyworm. Diseases caused P811,165,659 of the damage.

The P57.8 billion production loss is equivalent to a volume loss of 2,718,836 MT. Calamities affected 993,823 hectares of agricultural areas.

For 2025, the agency estimates improved palay output and forecasts a total harvest of 20.4 million metric tons.

– Rappler.com