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Super El Niño may cut palay harvest by 1 million mt

Mico Virata··2 MIN READ

AGRICULTURE Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told the Senate Finance Committee during the DA's budget hearing that high temperatures and low rainfall during El Niño could affect between 2.8 million to 4.8 million farmers and fisherfolk. Rice production is seen to drop from 700,000 to a million tons, adding to the 63,000 tons in losses already recorded this year. He said the country will need to get 863,000 tons of the staple to ensure supply and a buffer stock during El Niño.

AGRICULTURE Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told the Senate Finance Committee during the DA's budget hearing that high temperatures and low rainfall during El Niño could affect between 2.8 million to 4.8 million farmers and fisherfolk. Rice production is seen to drop from 700,000 to a million tons, adding to the 63,000 tons in losses already recorded this year. He said the country will need to get 863,000 tons of the staple to ensure supply and a buffer stock during El Niño.

Photograph courtesy of Department of Agriculture

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Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has backed a proposal to declare a State of Calamity to mobilize government resources against the anticipated impacts of a potentially severe El Niño.

Tiu Laurel supported the proposal of Sen. Francis Pangilinan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, who urged the government to prepare for mounting agricultural risks across five regions.

Declare a State of Calamity

“I do agree that it would be good to declare a State of Calamity because all indications point to a Super El Niño,” Tiu Laurel said, citing forecasts from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and assessments by climate experts.

“Everybody in the world is saying it, so we better act fast,” he added.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has developed a worst-case scenario in which about 4.6 million of the country’s estimated 10.4 million farmers and fisherfolk could be affected by the projected Strong El Niño.

The department also anticipates a possible reduction of around one million metric tons in palay production.

Help improve contingency planning

Agriculture Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development Christopher Morales said a calamity declaration could help the department improve contingency planning and implement mitigation measures before conditions worsen.

“This will allow us to anticipate risks, minimize potential damage, and respond swiftly to areas threatened by the impacts of Super El Niño,” Morales said.

Pangilinan said the government should not wait for agricultural losses to escalate before intervening. He cited the 2014-2015 coconut scale insect infestation, locally known as cocolisap, which affected around two million trees in Calabarzon and threatened to spread to Bicol.

Secure some P500 million in additional support

According to the senator, a State of Calamity declaration during that crisis helped secure approximately P500 million in additional support, allowing authorities to contain the infestation within six months.

Pangilinan offered his office’s assistance in advancing the proposed declaration and urged the DA to help convince President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to approve the measure.