NEGROS Occidental Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said Tuesday, July 16, that the El Nino phenomenon has delayed the first rice cropping for this year.
He said the production is expected to be affected by the present weather situation, with rains and slight strong winds.
Masculino said instead of planting rice in the month of May, planting has just started this month because it is only this July that the rainy days started.
That's why the heavy downpour may not affect much the rice fields because most of the farmers have just planted, he said.
Masculino, meanwhile, said they launched on Monday, July 15, the Strategic Area for Agriculture Development in Salvador Benedicto.
The project, with an allocation of P15 million every year, is in line with the Poverty Alleviation Project of the Department of Agriculture.
Masculino said the project will be extended to Salvador Benedicto until 2022 after the town was identified with high incidence of poverty.
In Western Visayas, only two local government units are beneficiaries of the projects, with Antique as the other recipient.
But Salvador Benedicto has the highest allocation.