Widespread destruction and damage of rice fields and agriculture infrastructure by typhoon Haiyan just ahead of rice planting may adversely impact food security in the Philippines, according to the FAO.

According to preliminary estimates by the FAO, over one million farmers have been affected and hundreds of thousands of hectares of rice destroyed due to typhoon Haiyan, the worst typhoon to strike the country in decades. “Although there is not a clear picture yet of the impact on the agriculture sector, it is evident that the damage is extensive,” said Dominique Burgeon, Director of FAO's Emergency and Rehabilitation Division.

In the Philippines, there was a demand to import around 500,000 tons to 1.4 million tons of rice to control soaring rice prices even before typhoon Haiyan hit the country last week. Local sources say, rice imports may now increase much above USDA estimates of 1.1 million tons in 2013-14. According to the Philippines government, about 131,611 tons of rice was lost in the devastation caused by Haiyan.