2.5K hectares of farm affected by El Niño

ILOILO CITY: The severe effects of the El Niño phenomenon have damaged at least 2,586 hectares of agricultural land in eight towns in the province of Iloilo.

The Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) said that as of February 1, 2,398 hectares of farmlands have been partially damaged, and 188 hectares have been completely damaged in eight of the 43 towns that have so far submitted drought reports.

The town of Anilao bore the brunt of the damage with 1,147.30 hectares of farmlands affected, followed by Oton (321.55), Tigbauan (277.96), Tubungan (211.58) and Cabatuan (204.78).

PAO also reported a total of 3,088 affected farmers across these eight towns, with Anilao having the highest number of farmers impacted at 1,176.

PAO head Dr. Ildefonso Toledo said that while they are still in the process of verifying the report, they estimated the total damage to be around P100 million.

“Based on the damage report provided by eight municipalities, our computation indicates that approximately 7,000 hectares of standing crops have been affected, with an estimated value of around P100 million,” he said.

Toledo said the damage and losses could escalate in the coming weeks, citing the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa) warning of possible drought conditions in the province of Iloilo between the months of January and April.

The Pagasa forecast showed that the province will get normal (yellow) to way below normal (red) rainfall in the said months, which could lead to drought conditions.

El Niño, a naturally occurring climate pattern, is typically associated with increased temperatures and absence of rain that could lead to droughts.

Insurance for farmers

Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. said the provincial government is prepared to provide financial and technical assistance to farmers affected by El Niño.

“Instead of giving cash assistance to the damage, we shifted to insurance. We help them secure insurance, especially for our qualified farmers so that when they are hit, they get the benefits of the government’s insurance policy, which is more substantial,” Defensor said.

The province has allocated P15 million for the provision of insurance premium subsidies which will be sourced from the 2023 budget.

Defensor noted that the province is ready to mitigate the effects of El Niño, emphasizing its province-led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Systems.

“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,” he said.

For 2024, PAO has earmarked P86 million for the agri-fishery sector.

The various mitigation and rehabilitation initiatives for the agriculture sector of PAO include support for hybrid rice production, inbred rice seed production, irrigation, buffer stock of seeds, adopting smart or bio-fertilizers, supporting cash crops or alternative crops, and implementing measures for pest infestation control.

“We focus on the hybridization program in our irrigated areas so that with our high-yield variety of crops, we can maximize it. In terms of a solution, on top is our hybrid adjustment,” Defensor added.

“We spend less, and they get more benefits when they are hit by the calamity.”

In 2023, over 900 hectares of rice areas in Banate, Dumangas, and Pototan were placed under the Department of Agriculture and provincial government’s hybridization program.