Eastern Visayas prepared in case El Niño strikes – DA

TACLOBAN CITY – Although El Niño has so far spared Eastern Visayas, the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) regional office is taking no chances, readying mitigation measures and continuing to monitor Samar and Leyte for possible effects of a dry spell.

"We are ready. Every year we have a contingency plan and buffer stocks in case of any calamity," DA Regional Director Milo Delos Reyes said.

Reyes said the region is experiencing only a moderately low amount of rainfall and only five hectares of ricelands are affected.

"So far, out of the more than 156,000 hectares of standing rice crop, only about 14,000 hectares were observed to be partially damaged by below normal rainfall," he said.

Western, Eastern and Northern Samar, and Leyte are likely to be affected if the dry spell continues.

Delos Reyes advised farmers to adopt mitigating measures such as planting short crops such as watermelon, peanuts, pechay and corn, which are highly resistant to drought.

The farmers can also take out crop insurance; and use shallow tube wells and other small scale irrigation facilities, including solar powered irrigation systems, he said.

Delos Reyes also recommended fallow farming, or letting the land lie idle for at least one cropping period, and change their planting calendar to avoid extreme heat or heavy rainfall shall in the next cropping season.