DA, El Niño Task Force implement plans to mitigate impact of dry spells on food production, farmers, fisherfolk

Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. on Friday said, his department along with other agencies comprising the Interagency Task for El Niño, has started implementing measures to mitigate the impact of the expected prolonged dry spell on food production, including farmers and fisherfolks who may be adversely affected by the weather phenomenon.

Laurel said interventions 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, implementation of low-water-use technology for rice farming, and quick-turnaround strategy.

"We are leaving no stones unturned in our effort to ease the impact of El Niño on our farmers and fishermen as well as consumers by ensuring food production is sufficient and 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 added that out of 843 kilometers of target irrigation canals, 740 kilometers have been improved and constructed as of November while 40 units of 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 requested a total P112 million for cloud-seeding operations for 2024 to supplement the water requirement of standing crops during periods of low rainfall.

Cloud-seeding operations 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, including provision of aircraft, respectively.

Through the Philippine Native Animal Development Program, the DA will distribute a total 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 fields have been targeted for the implementation of the quick-turnaround strategy, wherein all rice farmers will immediately replant rice without waiting for months to take advantage of the remaining moisture in the soil.

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 a total of 916,759 farmers and fishermen.

The DA chief said 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 Nino phenomenon.