El Niño Damage to Agriculture Up Php7.013-B in Jan.-May ’16

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday revealed the damage brought by the El Niño phenomenon has reached Php7.013 billion for the period January to May 3, 2016.

DA Undersecretary for Operations, Agribusiness & Marketing Emerson Palad, in a press briefing, said the most affected commodity was rice with total value of Php3.489 billion planted to 117,790 hectares; followed by corn with Php2.606 billion total value affecting 91,858 hectares; and those considered as high value crops such as coffee, cacao, rubber, banana, and onion, with Php2.475 billion planted to 19,109 hectares.

To address the plight of the farmers affected, Palad said, the DA has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of National Defense (DND) which ensures the assistance of cloud seeding experts and the use of Philippine Air Force (PAF) aircraft in the cloud seeding operation.

Prior to the agreement between the DA and the DND, he said the DA’s Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) has deployed contracted aircraft to seed clouds for rain in identified vulnerable agricultural areas and watersheds to minimize the impact of El Niño to crop production.

To date, a total of 252 sorties (352 flying hours) with a success rate of 68 percent were conducted in various locations in North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Maguindanao, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao City, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Sur, Isabela, Cagayan, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, part of Ifugao and Kalinga provinces.

Cloud seeding was also undertaken in areas of wide magnitude where the development of crops such as rice and corn becomes critical due to inadequate soil moisture.

The DA has also programmed interventions, initiated strategies and activities as early as 2014, among them the maximization of production in non-threatened areas; saving vulnerable areas through appropriate irrigation intervention or crop shifting using short gestation crops; massive information dissemination; and rehabilitation of vulnerable areas that cannot be saved.

“Though the damage wrought by the prolonged dry is considerable, it would’ve definitely been worse without the Department’s preparations,” said Palad.

To address water scarcity in vulnerable areas due to low water levels in reservoirs, particularly those that are at the tail-end of the irrigation systems, he said the DA had distributed irrigation pump equipment for open source/replacement for damaged/non-functional pumps; shallow tube wells (STWs) to eligible farmers’ organizations and irrigators’ associations; and provide high density polyethylene pipes and water drums.

To date, the DA has distributed 9,000 bags of hybrid rice seeds, 60,000 bags of rice certified seeds, 20,000 bags of fertilizer and hybrid seed package, and paid crop insurance to farmers affected by the weather phenomenon.

The DA has also provided 20,000 bags of hybrid corn seeds, 30,000 bags of OPV corn seeds, and 30,000 bundles of cassava seed pieces.

It has also been actively promoting crop shifting through distribution of drought-resistant assorted vegetable seeds (pinakbet varieties) mungbean, peanut and cuttings of sweet potato, watermelon, squash and cucumber to affected farmers to augment food support and additional income.

In addition, multivitamins, vaccines, dewormers and various veterinary drugs and biologics were also provided thru the affected local government units (LGUs) to keep backyard animals from acquiring diseases that are prevalent and devastating during dry season. There are also provision of feed concentrates and forage seeds.

For crop management, the DA provided interventions and prevention measures to pest and diseases affected by El Niño, such as 200,000 cards of trichogramma, 3.1 million earwig production distribution, 2,000 cards of Bio-N, 200 kgs. of zinc phosphide, 30,000 packs of metharhizium and conducted 90 trainings for pest management.

At present, a total of Php1.671 billion worth of damage was reported due to pest infestation in rice, corn, and high value crops for the first quarter of the year.

As such, Palad said the DA has requested the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for replenishment of their quick response fund (QRF) amounting to Php500 million for the continuation of its El Niño mitigating measures and rehabilitation of irrigation damaged by previous typhoons.

He said the DA has already fully utilized its QRF worth Php370.08 million, which has been allocated to the El Niño-affected regions.

Meanwhile, the DA is now preparing for the onset of La Nina as forecast by the State weather bureau, which often follows El Niño episodes.

La Nina is a weather phenomenon which, in contrast to El Niño that causes severe droughts, brings intense rains. (PNA) SCS/LGI