Damage and losses from the ongoing effects of El Niño have reached nearly P10 billion, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Thursday.

The DA said a total of P9.99 billion worth of crops and livestock were affected because of El Niño.

The damage and losses recorded in Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and Caraga include rice, corn, cassava, high-value crops, livestock and poultry.

DA said for 2026, the "rice production is projected at approximately 18.6 million MT, representing a decline of roughly one million MT from the 2025 level."

"The projected decrease is attributed to a combination of factors, including elevated fertilizer and fuel costs, El Niño impacts, severe flooding brought by the Habagat that damaged standing crops, and farmgate price volatility that affected farmers’ planting decisions and actual planted area," it stated.

"At present, the reported production losses due to El Niño have reached 108,881 MT, equivalent to 1.12 percent of the second-semester 2026 target production of 9.7 million MT," it added.

Meanwhile, DA noted that "corn production in 2026 is projected to decrease by approximately 500,000 metric tons (MT) compared with 2025, as farmers face higher production costs, particularly inorganic fertilizers and fuel, alongside adverse weather conditions and El Niño."

"To date, reported production losses have reached 161,166 MT, equivalent to around 1.83 percent of its target production of 8.8 million MT for 2026," the agency stated.

The impact of El Niño was also felt by 324,327 farmers, while 323,419 hectares (ha) of agricultural areas were affected, and 288,424 metric tons (MT) of production losses were incurred. Robina Asido/PHS