El Niño barely affecting Davao farmers

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Farmers in southern Mindanao are barely affected by the effects of the El Niño phenomenon that has prevailed in the south for a few months now.

Dr. Frisco Malabanan, head of the El Niño Task Force, said farmers in the region have already planted rice and have retained enough water until the harvest season.

Malabanan, who arrived here recently to inspect rice fields, also interacted with farmers in Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, and Davao del Sur.

“The rice farmers told me that the region is not feeling the effects of this mild El Niño as forecast by (the weather bureau). They have been experiencing rain in the last two weeks,” he said.

Southern Mindanao reportedly has a total rice planting area of 49,180 hectares, of which 44,000 hectares have already been irrigated while the rest depend on rainfall.

Malabanan said that even if the effects of the mild dry spell will start to set in within a few weeks, farmers in the region are still in a safe situation.

Carlos Mendoza, Department of Agriculture-Region 11 director, admitted that the region is experiencing unpredictable weather.

“We are always on the watch and we see to it that the department can easily switch from El Niño to La Niña,” he said.

The El Niño Task Force is tasked to come up with a comprehensive and integrated action plan to address the El Niño phenomenon.

The task force was reactivated after the weather bureau forecast a possible peaking of El Niño by the first half of this year.

Agriculture officials earlier said crop and fishery losses could reach nearly P10 billion even if the effects of El Niño are moderate. – Edith Regalado