DA braces for El Niño, La Niña

The Department of Agriculture is preparing for the possible impact of El Niño and La Niña on crops and livestock as the agriculture sector faces increasingly extreme weather conditions.

DA Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Arnel De Mesa said Saturday the agency is preparing for worst-case scenarios amid the effects of climate change.

Speaking at a House of Representatives news forum, De Mesa said persistent rains from the southwest monsoon, or habagat, have helped replenish major dams.

“If there’s one thing good about this habagat, yung ating mga major dams, nakaranas siya ng major recovery,” De Mesa said.

He cited Angat Dam, whose water level has risen to about 204 meters from around 150 meters before the monsoon rains. Citing PAGASA, De Mesa said the rapid recovery of dams in less than a month was unusual and could help the country prepare for El Niño.

The DA is also banking on solar-powered irrigation projects to provide more sustainable water sources for farms while reducing electricity consumption.

Rice and corn are among the agency's priorities during El Niño because of their significant water requirements, while vegetable production must be protected from excessive rainfall during La Niña.

De Mesa said the agency is also preparing measures to protect poultry and other livestock from extreme heat, which could affect production and food supply.