El Niño damage hits P151M – DA

AGRICULTURAL damage caused by El Niño has risen to P151.3 million, with most of the losses occurring in regions where rice is cultivated, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

In its third and latest El Niño bulletin, the DA said the weather pattern had so far affected 3,291 hectares of rice fields, mostly in the Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula.

Volume losses totaled 6,618 metric tons (MT) and some 3,923 farmers were said to have been affected.

«Most of the damage and losses were incurred on rice and corn that are on (sic) their reproductive stage,» the DA said.

In particular, 6,079 MT of rice were affected, while for corn it was 539 MT.

Interventions worth some P1 million are in the pipeline, the Agriculture department said.

These include cloud seeding operations, pest control management and the promotion of wider use of drought-resistant crop varieties.

The Central Luzon region, which produces most of the country's rice supply, has been experiencing below normal rainfall conditions, the department said.

This could lead to «reduced crop yields, pests and disease infestations, increased production costs and market fluctuations,» it added.

The provinces of Nueva Ecija and Tarlac in Central Luzon have also reported infestation of armyworms.

The department assured that market conditions for agricultural commodities in the region remained stable except for onions.

In the Cagayan Valley region, meanwhile, water levels in the Cagayan River have dropped, potentially affecting corn and rice output.

The Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) region has also been experiencing «insufficient rainfall» since January 16.

The Agriculture department said the region needed supplementary irrigation systems to alleviate the possible effects of drought.

Some regions, meanwhile, are experiencing sufficient rainfall, including Bicol, Central and Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Caraga.