MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Department of Agriculture (DA) said that the damage and losses recorded due to El Niño now reached PHP 109.44 million on Wednesday, January 31.
According to the second El Niño advisory from the DA-Disaster Risk Reduction Management Operations Center (DRRM), the harm and setbacks occurred during the reproductive phases of rice cultivation, impacting 2,602 farmers and 2,177 hectares of rice fields, as evaluated by the Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula regional field offices. The recorded decline in rice production is estimated at 4,738 metric tons.
In addition to monitoring weather conditions and on-the-ground situations, the DA-DRRM routinely shares advisories and agro-meteorological information through municipal and city agriculturists and report officers via platforms such as Facebook or Messenger.
Previously, the DA stated that a robust and well-established El Niño is currently underway and is anticipated to persist until January-February 2024. The agency is actively confirming areas susceptible to its impact and outlining interventions for affected farmers.
The majority of international climate models indicate that El Niño is expected to endure until the March-April-May 2024 season, transitioning to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-neutral conditions in the April-May-June 2024 period.
ENSO-neutral signifies phases when neither El Niño nor La Niña is occurring, typically coinciding with the transition between the two phenomena.
As per procedures, the DA gathers and evaluates data encompassing planting and harvesting, the state of irrigation systems, and dispenses guidance to farmers regarding appropriate crop management practices amid El Niño. This guidance includes recommendations for adjusting planting schedules and optimizing fertilizer usage.
Before initiating cloud-seeding operations, the Department of Agriculture collaborates on a comprehensive area assessment. Additionally, the agency advocates for the cultivation of drought-resistant crop varieties that are well-suited to the expected weather conditions during El Niño.
As of January 30, 2024, the Angat Dam’s Reservoir Water Level (RWL) stands at 211.40 meters, surpassing its rule curve elevation of 203.04 meters.
Conversely, dams below their respective rule curve elevations include San Roque at 13.31 meters, Pantabangan at 19.74 meters, and Magat at 4.25 meters.
Keep Reading: Vietnamese firms to expand economic opportunities in the Philippines
Leave a Reply