BAGUIO CITY – At least P33.9 million has already been earmarked by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to assist the thousands of farmers in the Cordillera whose farms were heavily devastated by the onslaught of typhoon “Pepeng” last month to allow them to cope with the disaster.

The initial funding assistance will be distributed to rice, corn, and vegetable farmers in the coming days to allow them to plant new crops in preparation for the next planting season to sustain the region and country’s food security by next year.

Agriculture officials disclosed the P33.9-million initial allocation for the region is intended to facilitate a widespread distribution of seeds and fertilizers to the thousands of calamity-stricken farmers.

Based on the rules of the assistance to farmers, the agriculture department will be giving out P2,000 worth of subsidy to hybrid corn farmers while P1,600 will be given to non-hybrid corn growers.