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Thursday, March 17, 2005
El Niño scorches crops; town declares calamity
By Jeffrey M. Tupas
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- The continuing dry spell experienced in many areas in Southwestern Mindanao prompted leaders of Lambayong in Sultan Kudarat Province to declare a state of calamity.
Mayor Ramos Abalos said the town council resorted to put the entire town under the state of calamity and approved the release of P2-million calamity fund to arrest the damages of the mild El Niño phenomenon on the farmers.
In a radio interview here, Abalos said they began to feel the effects of the dry spell in February and has since caused the destruction of at least 50 percent of the town's rice and corn crops.
Abalos also said that at least 10 out of the 26 villages of Lambayong are experiencing inadequate supply of water which is being distributed by the National Irrigation Administration.
"The water supply is no longer enough to supply the needs of our farmlands," Abalos said.
Abalos explained that the P2 million calamity fund, which is 20 percent of the total allocation for calamity this year, will be used to assist the farmers as the government also urged the farmers to plant alternative crops.
In an advisory issued by the Philippine Atmospheric Gepphysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pag-asa), it noted that areas with below normal rainfalls for two consecutive months are areas potential for drought.
The Department of Agriculture national office estimated around 52,000 hectares of high value crops, like rice and corn, which maybe damaged by the dry spell in South Cotabato.
A DA report also showed that more than 15,000 hectares of rice and corn has been affected by El Niño in Bukidnon and some 3,108 hectares in Misamis Oriental.
The DA Southwestern Mindanao region has already allocated an initial P1.8 million for cloud seeding operation. Although North Cotabato was not included in the critical areas identified by the Pag-asa as potential for drought.
"We want to prevent the loss of crops which could also mean famine...we need support here," DA regional director Abusama Alid said as he urged local leaders of affected provinces to cooperate with the DA's measures to mitigate the effects of the dry spell.
The Southwestern Mindanao region is composed of the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Cotabato and Kidapawan.
North Cotabato Governor Emmanuel Piñol has requested for a cloud seeding operation just to induce rains.
Piñol said that the province's major rice producer towns are already experiencing lack of water supply.
He identified these towns as M'lang, Matalam, Tulunan, and President Roxas.
Cloud seeding, although called an expensive process, proved effective in inducing rains.
The last dry spell that hit North Cotabato was in 1998. It was the year when food became scarce in the province, which prompted residents of upland areas, like those in the Arakan Valley Complex, to eat the poisonous yam called "kayos".
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (March 17, 2005 issue)
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