DA-7 officials assess needed budget to ease El Niño effects

CEBU, Philippines - Officials of the Department of Agriculture-Central Visayas (DA-7) are deliberating on the needed budget for the mitigation of the ill effects of El Niño on the local agriculture industry, an official said.

DA-7 Regional Director Angel Enriquez told The FREEMAN she headed a meeting yesterday to identify how much budget the agency will secure. But information on the budget was not readily available as of this writing.

Earlier, the national DA has already sought for additional budget of P940 million from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to address the impact of El Niño.

In a separate interview, Joel Elumba, DA-7's regional technical director, said the regional office has been preparing a mitigation plan for El Niño's effects following the state weather bureau's projection that the phenomenon is getting stronger through year's end and early next year. 

Elumba said the budget will be used to fund the department's programs on rice, corn, livestock and high-value crops, among others.

The DA said the foreseen water shortage in the coming months due to El Niño is something to worry about as it significantly affects the production of crops such as rice and corn and even vegetables.

Elumba urged farmers and local government units (LGUs) to always prepare as this year's El Niño is seen to be the worst since 1998. 

"Awhag namo sa mga mag-uuma to prepare aning El Niño. We are also encouraging our LGUs to prepare their localized El Niño mitigation plans," Elumba, the agency's El Niño focal person, said in an interview yesterday.

The DA official explained the department is now pushing for diversification of the farming system as a way to mitigate the effects of the hot weather pattern.

He urged local farmers to produce various crops especially those that are drought-tolerant.

When asked if supply of crops and vegetables has started to decline, Elumba said there are no reports on supply shortage yet.

Possible cloud seeding

For his part, Engr. Oscar Tabada, Visayas director of weather bureau PAGASA, said he had recommended already for a cloud seeding operation in the northern part of Bohol province as some farm areas there are already affected.

But he has yet to get the feedback of the provincial government on his recommendation, he said in an interview. 

Tabada also said the hot weather could definitely impact farm production, adding that all areas in the region have to prepare to lessen its effects.  (FREEMAN)