BACOLOD City – The Department of Agriculture (DA) secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the El Niño phenomenon will last until late November this year in Negros Occidental.
“Negros Occidental has to prepare because they may have to bear prolonged dry spell,” Piñol said.
DA has long prepared for the dry spell and funds have been downloaded to the regions for measures like cloud seeding, he added.
“We are ready with our crop insurance and the survival insurance of P25,000 without collateral, no interest payable within three years to farmers affected by El Nino,” he said.
Records from the Provincial Agriculturist showed crop damage brought by the dry spell now reached P8.3-million from January to February this year, mostly in rice farms in Negros Occidental. (With a report from PNA/PN)
