Agriculture sector wilting to climate change

CEBU, Philippines - Changes in weather patterns have increased the lean months or the period when farmers are still growing their crops, thus, resulting to decreased income and shortage in food supply eventually.

Antonio Boniel, chairperson of the Municipal Farmers Association of Ubay town in Bohol, confirmed yesterday, during a conference here on climate change and its effects on agriculture, that inconsistency of weather conditions has tremendously affected farmers.

“Di na mi kaingon kung kanus-a mouwan. Naay usahay nga mouwan, mananom mi kay nagdahom nga mopadayon na, dili diay. Moinit sa mga sunod nga adlaw maong mangaluya among gitanom,” he said.

According to Rosalinda de Guzman of the Climatology and Agrometeorology Division of weather bureau, PAGASA, farmers should know the trend of rainfall so they can plan ahead.

“A slight change in temperature changes the weather pattern,” she said.

It was highly recommended for farmers to practice sustainable and organic farming, and focus on agroforestry, increase plant diversity and enhance water efficiency.

However, continued degradation of the environment has hampered realization of this goal.

“I realized that a simple act of switching off the lights when not in use can contribute to the alleviation of the current global warming we are experiencing, then everything else follows,” Remfel Lor, one of the participants of the conference, said.

The conference was initiated to promote awareness on the effects of climate change on agriculture so the public would realize how their activities, detrimental to the environment, would affect directly or indirectly other people’s lives. —  Ana Coritha J. Desamparado  (THE FREEMAN)