CLOUDING seeding operations implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Davao Region have been strengthened to mitigate the effects of El Niño in various areas in the region.
DA-Davao director for research and regulations Dr. Rafael T. Mercado said the agency is negotiating again for another continuous cloud seeding operations in drought-stricken areas.
"We are negotiating for another 45 sorties that is good for 45 hours na pag-ulan. Hopefully, pag napalipad na ang mga eroplano na yan, maibsan natin ang epekto ng El Niño," Mercado told Sun.Star Davao.
He said the Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM), an attached agency of the DA, has so far deployed aircraft to seed clouds in vulnerable agricultural areas and watersheds.
He said the bureau conducted 32 sorties in response to El Niño, adding that around 25 flying hours have been logged-in in the provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental and Davao City.
Aside from cloud seeding operation, DA-Davao also provided various interventions worth P31.888,617 in affected areas, with close to 20,000 farmers benefitting from it, Mercado said.
He also said among the interventions that were distributed by the bureau are certified rice seeds, registered seeds, green super rice and open-surface pumps under the Agri-Pinoy Rice Program.
DA-Davao also distributed mungbean seeds, peanut seeds, water plastic drum under the Agri-Pinoy High Value Crops Development Program and multivitamins and dewormer under its Livestock Banner Program.
To address water scarcity in vulnerable areas due to low water levels in reservoirs, the bureau also distributed units of pump irrigation equipment for open source/replacement for damaged/non-functional pumps and shallow tube wells.
"In fact, the department is hoping to sustain the production support and cloud seeding operation up to the declining status of the El Niño phenomenon," Mercado said.
The dry spell has so far destroyed about P250-million in rice and corn crops in Southern Mindanao based on the data of the DA as of January this year.
Record showed that around 5,536.9 hectares of rice lands and 6,944.73 hectares of cornfields have been affected by the drought.
The losses incurred on rice reached to P140,262,498.14 with 9,317.30 metric tons of produce lost.
At least 4,131.33 hectares of rice fields were affected in Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, 627, Compostela Valley, 330.25, Davao City, 320 and Davao Oriental, 10 hectares.
Damage to corn crops reached P107,904,557.15 with 19,253.30 metric tons of produce lost.
In Davao City alone, a total of 2,746.55 hectares were affected.
El Niño also affected corn production in Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley.