DA logs P392-M inputs affected by drought

Even before the El Niño phenomenon has yet to set in, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has already recorded over P392 million worth of inputs in the agriculture sector that were adversely affected by the prevailing drought brought about by the summer season.

As of Sunday, the DA reported that the destruction covered inputs for rice, corn, fisheries, high value commercial crops, and other agricultural products with a total land area of 78,177 hectares, of which 20,000 hectares have no chance of recovery.

DA Undersecretary for Operations Ernesto Ordoñez said that the rice accounted for 44,000 hectares in the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), Regions I to IV, IX, and XII, with 69,947 metric tons amounting to P195.797 million.

The current drought has also damaged 28,759 hectares of corn, which was 44,749 metric tons worth P172.976 million and vegetable farms with 738 hectares valued at P5.4 million.

The devastation to other crops was recorded at P16.966 million covering 4,224 hectares.

"With its current budget resources, the DA has already addressed 192,000 hectares of irrigated rice lands previously hit by the El Niño of 1997 to 1998, which are now protected from the effects of the El Niño this October. Budget resources are being provided to address the remaining 70,000 vulnerable irrigated hectares from the El Niño occurrence," said Ordoñez.

The DA Undersecretary said that the department has in fact earmarked some P5 billion to mitigate the effects of the weather aberration for this year alone and more resources are being mobilized for the program. He clarified that the existing intensified dry spell reported in several provinces lasts only a few months and soon the rains will come.

Earlier, DA Secretary Leonardo Montemayor has warned the public not to take lightly the forecast mild El Niño, which is expected to hit the country beginning October until June 2003. He stressed that the private sector, local governments, and lawmakers should give their share in efforts to beat the severe impacts of the weather aberration.

Montemayor also said that the public must now begin to conserve water and that farmers should take advantage of the rains while it is still coming.

"While the expected El Niño has not yet fully developed and is believed to be of lesser intensity than before, it is better to be prepared for the worst than remain complacent," Montemayor noted.

"We cannot compromise said security as it affects national security. More intervention by local officials should be made so that the potential adverse impact of the long dry spell could be minimized," he added.

Montemayor has appealed to lawmakers to allocate portions of their funds and the LGUs to earmark five percent of their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) to counter El Niño-related impacts in their respective districts.