City helps farmers prepare for El Niño

CEBU, Philippines - As part of its efforts to lessen the effects of drought, the Cebu City government has allocated P10 million to establish communal catch basins in 28 upland barangays.

The hilly barangays will become recipients of a project that will help farmers impound water to manage the effects of the mild El Niño.

City Agriculture Office head Joselito Bacla-yon said they are working on the construction of 200 water-impounding facilities in farm areas. Each unit is priced at P50,000.

The facilities will be constructed by digging a meter deep into the soil for a total area of 100 square meters by placing bed liners or sheets for water storage.

Baclayon said each facility can hold up to 100 cubic meters of water which will be sourced from the city’s upland springs.

Baclayon hopes to roll out the project starting next month since irrigation is the main challenge for farmers in the city during the dry season.

The agriculture office is also allocating P5 million for hoses and water drums and P2 million worth of seeds of plants that thrive in hot weather such as sweet corn, beans and okra, among others, to cope up with the market demand.

Sets of hoses and water drums have been distributed to farmers so that they can already use it to collect and store water from far-flung sources. The drum can store at least 200 liters of water.

Further, Baclayon will be asking the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to set aside P5 million for the purchase of fertilizers which can prevent stress and enhance resistance in plants.

“We have to be extra-ready for the dry season to somehow mitigate the impacts and effects of mild El Niño. But, at present everything is normal,” he said.

Farmers have also been advised not to burn dried grasses and leaves, but rather consider “mulching” or laying them on the ground to keep the moisture in the soil.

Farmers are also directed to build barns or shades to protect their animals from intense heat and are advised to conserve water and conduct massive planting of trees that are drought-resistant.

Cebu City is home to more than 15,000 farmers. The city has 51 primary farmer associations and one farmer federation.

Baclayon said the farming industry contributes significantly to the local economy as it does not only produce food but also employs people from the rural areas for harvesting, care management and transport of goods to the market. — Kristine B. Quintas/ATO (FREEMAN)