Damage to agri due to El Niño reaches over P860M, says NDRRMC

DRY SPELL A young boy inspects rice plants in a parched field in Tanza, Cavite in this file photo taken in May 2023. —INQUIRER photo

MANILA, Philippines — The damage wrought by the looming effects of the El Niño phenomenon on the country’s crop sector has climbed to P865.16 million, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

In a report on Wednesday, NDRRMC revealed that the dry spell has so far affected 15,341 farmers nationwide.

The agency added that the affected commodities include rice, corn, high-value crops, and livestock, spanning 13,521 hectares of agricultural areas.

Aside from the commodities, about 142 people or 30 families were likewise hit by El Niño’s effects.

READ: Drought may hit 30 areas in March due to El Niño – Pagasa

To aid them, the government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), has so far distributed P362,564,850 worth of assistance.

Moreover, DA said it “continuously adopts the alternate wetting-and-drying method that has reduced water consumption in rice fields.”

It also considers the use of solar-powered irrigation systems “to augment water supply in areas vulnerable to drought,” and the review of shallow tube wells’ use for rainfed areas.

“In addition, Regional Field Offices’ initiatives include advisories encouraging farmers to adopt synchronous planting to avoid the occurrence of pests and diseases due to delayed planting, as well as using affected crops as forage to feed livestock,” the agency said.