Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said Monday, March 4, that the regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) had sent a team to the province to conduct a survey for a possible cloud seeding operation amid the dry spell affecting the southern Negros.
Lacson said the team is composed of representatives from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management under the DA and they will conduct the survey for three days.
"They showed a graph showing potential clouds which are mostly in the northern Negros especially in Cadiz City, Calatrava, Escalante City, San Carlos City, and Don Salvador Benedicto while most of the damages are in southern Negros. Hopefully, by next week, the DA will already have a recommendation," Lacson said.
He said that southern Negros has clear skies.
Cloud seeding is effective if there is a cloud formation in the area and the wind direction is also determined for it to be effective and hit the target areas, he said.
The governor pointed out that most affected areas depend on rainwater while irrigated areas, especially under the Bago River Irrigation System of the National Irrigation System, are surviving El Niño.
The farmers have been informed about the dry spell due to El Niño but some are still taking chances.
Meanwhile, the damage caused by the dry spell has reached P77,702,833.81 as of March 1 based on the report of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist to Lacson.
Of the total damage, rice lands remained the hardest hit with P77,544,9882.01 worth of damage, while damage to corn was pegged at P157,852.80.
The drought also affected 76 barangays, 1,955 farmers, and 1,669.71 farmlands in the province, the report said.
The report also showed that the number of affected local governments increased to 11.
Kabankalan City remained to be the hardest hit locality in the province with damages already at P41,726,761.20 with 13 barangays and 1,214 farmers in 978.98 hectares affected.
It is followed by Cauayan with P14,001.540 in damages to rice lands in 17 barangays, 197 farmers, and 176.66 hectares.
Ilog reported damages of P7,487,370.24, four villages, and 110 farmers with 110.68 hectares.
Himamaylan City reported P3,732,556.92 in damages in eight villages, 110 farmers, and 78.15 hectares; Valladolid, P3,397,598.72 in damages, in three barangays, 40 affected farmers in 64.83 hectares.
Hinoba-an had P2,525,595.60 worth of damage to rice crops, affecting four villages, 110 farmers, and 100.68 hectares of rice lands; Hinigaran, P1,751,055.20, five barangays, 51 farmers and 36.82 hectares.
Sipalay City had P1,623,445.63 in damages in six barangays, 38 farmers and 32.77 hectares affected; Binalbagan-P513,360, four barangays, seven farmers and 9.45 hectares affected; Moises Padilla-P450,897.50, two villages, four farmers and 5.36 farmers and Isabela with P334,800 and one barangay, one farmer and six hectare.*