ILOILO – The provincial government is poised to offer support to 3,088 farmers affected by El Niño in this province.
Data from the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) as of Feb. 1 showed that out of 2,586.30 hectares of palay in the province, 188.21 hectares have been completely destroyed, while 2,398.09 hectares have suffered partial damage due to the heat from El Niño.
Anilao town has experienced the most significant damage, with 1,147.30 hectares affected; followed by Oton with 321.55 hectares; Tigbauan with 277.96 hectares; Tubungan with 211.58 hectares; and Cabatuan with 204.78 hectares.
PAO Chief Dr. Ildefonso Toledo estimates the total damages to exceed P100 million in the province alone and anticipates an increase as the dry spell is expected to last until April this year.
“The damage could exceed P100 million. We don’t have the exact figure yet since the effects of El Niño are progressive. We are still compiling data,” said Toledo.
He is also verifying the figures reported by the local government units (LGUs), as some LGUs report damages but lack planting records with the PAO.
What Kind of Assistance Is Available?
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. has promised financial and technical support through the PAO, although the provincial government prefers to provide technical or farm inputs and insurance.
The province is also ready to utilize the calamity fund from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) if necessary, even without declaring a state of calamity.
“If needed, we can allocate funds from our disaster funds, especially with a calamity declaration. However, we can still proceed without such a declaration,” he said.
Since 2023, in anticipation of the El Niño phenomenon hitting the Philippines, the provincial government has been aligning programs, especially the Provincial Agricultural and Fisheries Extension Systems (PAFES), to mitigate the effects.
“The program consists of strategies and solutions focusing on a hybrid program for irrigated areas to maximize the yield of high-yield varieties and enhance production in areas with water access,” Defensor explained.
The provincial government has also been distributing water pumps and enhancing small-scale irrigation projects to ensure farmers have water sources from February to April.
For 2024, the PAO has proposed a P54.4 million budget for mitigation and adaptation to calamities affecting agriculture and fisheries. The budget includes:
* For the rice sector — P26.4 million for hybrid rice production support, inbred rice seed production support, balanced fertilization support, Jalaur premium rice program, and aquaculture mitigation program.
* For the fisheries sector — P1 million for coastal and marine resources management.
* For the livestock sector — P2 million for livestock and poultry mitigation programs.
* For irrigation support — P17 million for programs such as the distribution of water pumps and small-scale irrigation projects.
* For climate field schools — P1 million for training rice farmers.
The data below outline the potential impact on rice hectares by ecosystem and congressional district, according to reports from the Municipal Agriculture Offices (MAOs) and the Department of Agriculture Region 6 (DA-6):
* 1st District — 30,676.18 hectares (14,298.30 irrigated, 15,831.34 rainfed, 546 upland)
* 2nd District — 31,222.37 hectares (12,795.17 irrigated, 18,427.20 rainfed)
* 3rd District — 64,870.06 hectares (18,612.28 irrigated, 45,839.53 rainfed, 418.25 upland)
* 4th District — 61,119.45 hectares (29,119.20 irrigated, 31,609 rainfed, 391 upland)
* 5th District — 48,886.06 hectares (18,792.20 irrigated, 30,093.86 rainfed)
In total, the province has 236,774.11 hectares of rice planting, with 93,617.15 hectares irrigated, 141,801.17 hectares rainfed, and 1,355.79 hectares upland. For the livestock sector, the following farmers are potentially affected by El Niño in the province:
* Cattle farmers — 29,949
* Carabao farmers — 29,466
* Goat farmers — 24,293
In 2023, the provincial government, through the PAO, implemented several mitigation programs and plans for El Niño:
* Conducted Climate Field Schools to train 66 farmers from San Miguel, Sara, and Janiuay on adopting and mitigating the effects of climate change.
* Supported hybrid rice production to maximize the yield in irrigated rice areas.
* Supported inbred rice seed production to maximize rice seed production areas and secure buffer stocks of rice seeds during and after El Niño.
* Promoted dry seedling campaigns and training for municipalities affected and those wishing to adopt the technology.
* Promoted the adoption of climate SMART aquaculture practices, including reducing stocking density, regular monitoring and sampling, appropriate feed management, recirculating aquaculture systems, marine cage culture, raft culture methods, seaweed culture, and encouraging crop insurance.
* Provided government interventions such as feed distribution to animals, salt block distribution, and seminars/orientation on silage making.
* Supported agri-fishery mitigation and rehabilitation during calamities.
Other support and mitigation programs include shallow tube wells as alternative water sources during droughts, small water impoundments as catch basins during heavy rainfall and water sources during droughts, water pumps for irrigation from rivers, creeks, water impoundments, and other sources, mobile irrigation for critical crop periods, and crop insurance to provide indemnity for farmers and fisherfolk affected by El Niño.
The comprehensive insurance also covers other force majeure events, pest and disease damage, and provides timely rehabilitation assistance after climate-related disasters.
The core strategy of this program is SIGURADO, or Sustainable Insurance from the Government for Upscaling and Revitalizing Agri-Fishery Development and Opportunities./PN
