6.2

6.2

Increased Self-Sufficiency Achieved Post-Typhoon From Provision Seeds, Tools, and Fertilizer

SEADS Handbook Location: Chapter 6 (book p. 76, PDF p. 83)

On the morning of November 8, 2013, Haiyan (locally named Yolanda), a Category 5 typhoon, hit land in the Philippines. It devastated areas across 36 provinces with its strong winds, massive rainfall, and storm surges. Around 14 million people were severely affected, as Yolanda destroyed hundreds of thousands of hectares of irrigated rice, coconut, and other crops.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) distributed 40 kg of rice seed and 50 kg of fertilizer to a planned total of around 39,400 households in Regions VI and VIII to support the replanting of 1 hectare of land per household. In addition, assorted hand tools (shovels, hoes, and machetes) were distributed to help groups of 10 households in land clearing and preparation for planting.

An FAO review found that 94% of the beneficiaries received the planned inputs, with around 85% receiving seeds and 69% receiving fertilizer to support planting on 0.8 hectare (ha) each. These percentages reveal that there were some losses. However, average rice production was estimated to be around 1,760 kg/household and was adequate to meet the 750 kg threshold for self-sufficiency (for a family of five) and to generate income through the sale of the surplus. Surpluses were important as 45% of farmers were involved in sharecropping and an additional 30% were tenant farmers.