The Philippines said on Monday a total of 250,730 tons of paddy rice has been lost due to the strong typhoon that hit the Northern provinces over the weekend, according to initial estimates, reports Reuters.
The Department of Agriculture said the estimates put the total crop damage at about 5 billion pesos ($92 million), including 1,204 tonnes of corn.
The Philippines, one of the world’s biggest rice importers, had been under pressure to boost its stocks even before Typhoon Mangkhut struck, with soaring retail prices helping to push inflation to its highest level in nearly a decade.