The Department of Agriculture on Friday said that, along with other government agencies comprising the Interagency Task Force on El Niño, it has started implementing measures to mitigate the impact of the expected prolonged dry spell on food production, as well as on farmers and fisherfolk who may be adversely affected by the weather phenomenon.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said interventions being undertaken by agencies under the DA include repair and rehabilitation of irrigation canals, cloud-seeding, dispersal of farm animals and provision of alternative livelihoods to farmers and fishermen, and the implementation of low water use technology for rice farming and the quick-turnaround strategy.

"We are leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to ease the impact of El Niño on our farmers and fishermen, as well as on consumers, by ensuring that food production is sufficient and the supply is secure during the expected dry spell that could affect a majority of provinces and millions who depend on agriculture and fisheries," Laurel said.

He said that of 843 kilometers of targeted irrigation canals, 740 kilometers have been constructed and improved since November. Meanwhile, 40 small-scale irrigation systems covering 1,477.5 hectares have been repaired and rehabilitated to distribute water more effectively and efficiently.

Meanwhile, the DA's Bureau of Soil and Water Management has sought P112 million for cloud-seeding operations this year to supplement the water requirements of standing crops during periods of low rainfall.

Cloud-seeding will be undertaken in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of National Defense, which will provide information for optimum cloud-seeding operations and provide the aircraft, respectively.

Alternative livelihood

Through the Philippine Native Animal Development Program, the DA will distribute 56,169 animals to 297 farmer groups and 470 individual farmers. Alternative livelihood and technologies adaptive to climate change will be provided to fishermen in Bicol, Central Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula.

Laurel said the DA will entice more rice farmers to use alternative wetting and drying technology to save water. He said the technology has been successfully used by over 1.2 million farmers and implemented on 9,210 hectares of rice fields.

The agriculture chief said 17,660 hectares of rice lands had been targeted for the quick-turnaround strategy, where rice farmers will immediately replant rice to take advantage of the remaining moisture in the soil without waiting for months.

Laurel said the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. has been tasked to indemnify affected farmers and, between June and November this year, has insured 1.27 million farmers, around 76 percent of the target group. Between January and June next year, PCIC has set aside P1.8 billion to insure 916,759 farmers and fishermen.

He said the PCIC has also set aside P500 million as credit support under its Survival and Recovery Loan Program of the Agriculture Credit Policy Council for some 20,000 borrowers who may be affected by calamities, including the El Niño phenomenon.