The Davao Region suffered an agricultural production loss of approximately P22.5 million, equivalent to 1,297 metric tons, due to the ongoing impact of the El Nino phenomenon.
According to a report from the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM), around 547 agricultural hectares in the region have been damaged. Of these, 227 hectares can still be recovered, while 320 hectares are beyond salvage, primarily affecting the provinces of Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental.
Macario Gonzaga, the regional director of the Department of Agriculture-Davao Region (DA-Davao), said that upland vegetable and corn farmers are the most affected by this climate system.
Despite the prolonged effects of El Niño, the management committee of the agency has already devised a project to expedite the delivery of interventions for affected farmers. They have allocated P1 billion for their El Niño Plan, focusing on the vulnerable provinces mentioned.
“The systems are in place but it should be sustainable. We need to make sure that our programs are the answer to our farmers’ needs. In that way, the interventions given are appropriate and timely,” Gonzaga revealed in a recent Agribiz Forum.
Gonzaga also outlined additional mitigation measures besides financial aid, including “provision of drought-resistant rice seed varieties, distribution of plastic drums for rainwater collection, implementation of spring development projects in upland areas, and evaluation of irrigation network systems.”
According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the current weakened El Nino may transition back to ENSO-neutral conditions during the April–May–June (AMJ) season of 2024.
However, model predictions indicate a likelihood of La Niña formation during the June–July–August (JJA) 2024 season. DEF