BACOLOD City – The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is eyeing an agreement with the provincial government to provide a counterpart fund for cloud seeding operation in Negros Occidental.
The SRA can utilize its disaster mitigating fund to avert the huge amount of production losses to the sugarcane sector, said its Board member Emilio Yulo III on Monday.
According to initial reports of the SRA, the 42,424.86 hectares of sugarcane fields affected by the dry spell already incurred around P366-million crop losses.
Yulo said his office is coordinating with the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist for the drafting of an agreement with the provincial government to implement counterpart funding.
“It would be easier if we can partner with the provincial government since there is already a schedule for cloud seeding in the province,” he added.
The Department of Agriculture and its attached agency, the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, have scheduled the cloud seeding operation for Negros Occidental in May.
Yulo said part of the long-term measures of the SRA is developing drought-resistant varieties, particularly for upland sugarcane areas.
He added that persistent dry spell will have a huge impact on the local sugarcane production output.
“Sugarcane is susceptible to extreme heat. The damage is supposed to be potential income of the farmers and planters. We now have to move on to the next cropping season,” Yulo said. (With a report from PNA/PN)
