City agricultural damage due to El Niño now P75 million

CEBU, Philippines - The agricultural damage wrought by El Niño in different parts of the city from January to last month this year has been recorded at P75 millio.

The city sees to lose millions more as the onslaught of El Niño will last until August this year according to the latest weather bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

City agriculturist Joelito Baclayon said that around 40 to 50 percent of the city’s agricultural production of high-value vegetables, domestic vegetables, livestock and other high-value crops currently suffer from the dry spell brought by El Niño.

Even flower production has decreased, Baclayon said, which means Flores de Mayo celebrations this May may experience a flower shortage.

“That’s why we are discouraging them to go on massive production because our rain pattern is not normal, di masaligan. So gipugngan sa nato sila og pananom og daghan,” Baclayon said.

Aside from lack of rain, he said, other sources of water for irrigation such as springs, rivers and wells should no longer supply enough, or worse, have already dried up.

“Karon, supposedly, land preparation sa mga farmers waiting for the onset of rainy season para sila makapananom. Supposedly ang rainy season is the last week of May pero amo silang gipugngan magdaro sa because it might have only gone to waste,” he said.

“We are campaigning for ginagmay lang na production or what we call intensive production. So that even in a small area, they can produce and earn.”

Most of the strongly affected barangays in Cebu city are the upland areas where there is an existing problem in water supply worsened due to El Niño. Baclayon admitted that the requests for additional water ration in the mountain barangays have increased.

“Farmers also requested for additional hoses and containers kay ang mga sources of water na nahabilin didto, mga lagyo na gyud kaayo. So what we did in the city since we started experiencing the impact of El Niño last October pa, the city allocated P5 million in calamity funds last year and this year P7 million for the purchase of hoses and containers,” Baclayon said.

The P5 million allocation last year was carried out under the Supplemental Budget No. 8 while the P7 million allocation this year is part of the P1.5 billion Supplemental Budget No. 3.

The P7 million budget charged to the calamity fund of the city was used to purchase 1,060 pieces of one-half inch diameter hoses – 300 meter per roll hose, 48 pieces of three fourth inch diameter – 150 meter per roll hose, 100 pieces of one inch diameter – 100 meter per roll hose and 20 pieces of two inch diameter – 60 meter per roll hose, all amounting to P4.4 million.

Over P2 million was spent for the purchase of 2,000 drum containers to be distributed to every household in the upland areas.

The city agriculture also purchased trucks to deliver water and asked the assistance of the local government units to lend their vehicle for the delivery.

Baclayon said that the city’s scheme of distribution is prioritization, barangays that are greatly affected will receive the assistance first.

The priority areas highly vulnerable to agricultural damage are Sudlon I, Sudlon II, Tabunan, Cambinocot, Tagba-o, Adlawon, Paril and Lusaran. These barangays are the major producers of high value and domestic vegetables in the city. They are also part of the total 28 upland barangays placed under the state of calamity recently.

“So right now, we are focusing our campaign in telling them na do not cultivate og dako, gamay lang. Also, minimize burning, practice mulching, and minimize cutting of trees, instead, embark on agro-reforestation because we are not only encouraging them to produce crops but also to plant fruit trees,” Baclayon reminded the farmers. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP (THE FREEMAN)