DA needs P149-M to mitigate effects of El Niño

Monday 1st of March 2010

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (1 March) -- Some P149.758 million will be needed by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to mitigate the effects of the El Niño phenomenon in Northern Mindanao.

Thus revealed Regional Executive Director Lealyn A. Ramos, of DA, region 10, during the recent meeting of the Regional Task Force on the El Niño / La Niña Phenomenon, who said they need to implement intervention programs on the following anticipated problems: reduction of irrigation water, occurrence of pests and diseases, high prices of food commodities due to low production and indiscriminate slaughter / disposal of breeding animals.

As of Jan 15, 2010, a total of 238,622 hectares of land in the region have been planted to crops of which 97,521 has. are threatened / vulnerable with a projected production losses of 211,712 metric tons, she said.

For Livestock, the threatened / vulnerable population is 120,689,850 heads with a projected production losses of 20,068MT, while for poultry, the threatened / vulnerable population is about 224,504,745 heads with a projected production losses of 2,245,047MT.

Meanwhile, Ramos said technologies on the efficient use of water to support standing crops, especially rice, will be relayed to the local government units (LGU) and farmers to mitigate the effects of the El Niño phenomenon which is expected to last until June, this year.

In coordination with the 900th Air Weather Group of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), DA has also embarked on a cloud seeding operations over watersheds of major reservoirs used for irrigation and in areas where the crop stage would require water.

The other mitigating measures include: the implementation of water rotational methods in the national irrigation systems (NIS) and establishment of drainage re-use systems and water transitory structures by the National Irrigation Administration.

Lending of pump and engine sets to El Nino affected farmers and fisher folk organizations until the duration of the El Nino episode and technical assistance to LGU's in the conduct of pest surveillance and control measures that may occur as the dry condition and warmer temperature progresses through the summer, by the Regional Crop Protection Center.

Mapping of severely affected farmers/fisher folk and their households, in conjunction with the Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Program (AHMP), with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the distribution of food assistance. (PIA 10)