DA: Luzon west, midsection most likely to be hit by first quarter El Niño

With the ongoing El Niño expected to last until the second quarter of the year, the Department of Agriculture said it is continuously taking interventions to mitigate the adverse effects of the weather phenomenon.

In an interview on Monday, Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said that based on the latest consolidation reports received by the department, Zamboanga is so far the only province experiencing the effects of the drought at this time.

But "this first quarter, according to the PAGASA report, it is expected that the western and midsection of Luzon may be affected by El Niño," he warned.

“Entering the second quarter, these [will include] parts of Eastern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao,” he added.

The DA spokesman said the agency has already extended assistance to affected farmers through water management interventions, small-scale irrigation projects and the provision of drought-tolerant seed varieties.

Last week, the DA reported agribusiness losses in Zamboanga valued at over P717,000, mostly in the northern part of the province, affecting 22 farmers and fisherfolk, with 22.25 hectares of rice areas affected.

Zamboanga del Norte recorded the highest damage and losses to rice areas at the vegetative stage, with an estimated value loss of between P600,000 and P800,000.

The strong El Niño is forecast to occur until February, with a transition to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation until June.