ILOILO City – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has issued an advisory for farmers in Western Visayas to help them mitigate the impact of the El Niño phenomenon.
“Ginapanugyan sang Department of Agriculture ang maid-id nga paghanda sa sector sang agrikultura sa ginapaabot nga tuman nga epekto sang El Niño,” the statement of DA-6 on its Facebook page.
The announcement follows the El Niño alert issued by the Department of Science and Technology—Philippine Atmospheric and Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)—in preparation for continued warming and possible stunting and drying of crops.
The DA-6 particularly focused on rice fields and farm animals that bear the brunt of the season first.
For farmers with rice fields:
* Get insurance from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) to cover losses.
* Plant varieties that can withstand hot weather and can be harvested early
* Plant short-gestation or short-cycle crops such as mung beans (monggo), peanuts, and soybeans.
* Use the crop rotation method to avoid pests.
* Use organic fertilizer to maintain the quality of the soil.
* Follow the alternate wetting and drying method and low-cost drip irrigation system.
For farmers raising animals:
* Vaccinate the animals
* Plant animal-feed crops that could withstand the hot weather.
* Get insurance from PCIC and register your animals with the Bureau of Animal Industry.
* Raise native animals.
* Have clean drinking water for the animals under the shade and away from direct sunlight.
* Avoid overcrowding and ensure a clean and spacious cage when transporting
* Consult a licensed veterinarian.
Based on the forecast of PAGASA-Iloilo, the region is likely to experience dry spell conditions starting in February 2024.
“When we say nga dry spell condition, we will experience sang magnipis, or rather, pagamay pa gid sang pagtupa sang ulan or malaka pa gid nga pagtupa sang ulan, and we will also consider nga may possible three consecutive months nga wala man mabatyagan nga ulan,” Jeff Maquiling, weather forecaster of PAGASA-Iloilo, said.
Drought is defined as three consecutive months of way below-normal rainfall conditions (less than a 60 percent reduction from average rainfall).
A dry spell is defined as three consecutive months of below-normal rainfall conditions (a 21 to 60 percent reduction from average rainfall).
A dry condition is defined as two consecutive months of below-normal rainfall conditions (a 21 to 60 percent reduction from average rainfall).
Because of this, PAGASA advises farmers in the region not to venture into planting rice because the rainfall is thin and they will not be able to sustain the plant until it bears fruit.
Instead, it is good to collect water in case the drought reaches March and April.
“Gina-advise ta gid, especially sa aton farmers, nga magtipon gid kit sang tubig since ang pagtupa sang ulan laka na lang. So, ginatan-aw naton ang possible losses sa agricultural sector,” Maquiling said./PN
