BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) of Negros Occidental may seek a budget of P15 million for initiatives to cushion the ill-effects of a looming El Niño phenomenon.
El Niño, characterized by unusually warm ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, could affect the normal rainfall pattern in the country, generally resulting in reduced rainfall.
OPA head Dr. Edmundo Raul Causing said they are also mulling the formation of an El Niño taskforce.
They have already begun surveying local government units (LGUs) with large swathes of rice fields as part of the preparations, he said.
OPA also recently met with rice farmers to know their plans and gather suggestions that could help minimize the effects of the dry spell, as well as giving them options on how the provincial government can help.
Previously, Engr. Albert Barrogo, regional director of the Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas, advised LGUs to form El Niño taskforces early.
Negros Occidental’s Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said last week he supported the request of 5th District’s Cong. Emilio Dino Yulo III to conduct cloud seeding.
The province’s sugar industry is currently in the middle of cultivation and planting, and the prevailing dry season may have adverse effects on agriculture.
Cloud seeding is usually carried out by sprinkling particles from a plane. Using weather forecasting techniques, suitable clouds are identified based on the location of the target area and the prevailing winds.
Given the appropriate conditions, cloud seeding can modify clouds and induce rain. This works in two ways: by producing rain when none would fall naturally; or by increasing the amount of rain that falls over a particular area.
Lacson said cloud seeding is one of the options to alleviate the dry condition, pointing out there is still cloud cover and some areas are even experiencing rainfall./PN
