DA sets cloud seeding activities over rain-starved areas

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) is prepared to conduct cloud seeding operations over farm areas that have not received rainfall for seven to 10 days, as part of its proactive strategy against a feared protracted dry spell.

The weather bureau has yet to issue an official warning on the occurrence of El Niño.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala has instructed DA regional offices nationwide to monitor the rainfall situation in their jurisdiction and coordinate with the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) should cloud seeding operations be needed.

As of March 27, the BSWM has completed 35 cloud seeding operations equivalent to 41 hours and 47 minutes flying time across the rain-deprived municipalities of Aglipay, Maddela and Nagtipunan, in Quirino province as well as over Magat Watershed areas.

The DA Regional Field Unit II reported that the sorties induced rain showers and prevented damage to some 4,155 hectares of corn farms in Quirino province, of which 3,490 hectares are in the reproductive stage and 665 hectares are in the vegetative stage.

“We are taking a proactive stance against the threat of a long dry spell even as PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) is saying El Niño is not yet in sight,” said Alcala.

Apart from cloud seeding operations, the DA is also positioning other interventions such as the provision of shallow tube wells and planting materials for drought-tolerant crop varieties to farmers.

As part of long-term interventions, the National Irrigation Administration  (NIA) has been increasing investments in new irrigation systems and small water impounding facilities with the goal of expanding irrigation coverage to a total of 1.9 million hectares by 2016, from the current coverage of 1.67 million hectares.

El Niño is a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific that occurs every four to 12 years.

The worst El Niño episode in the country was experienced between 1997 to1998, when more than P8 billion worth of crops were destroyed.