President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. talks to government officers and representatives during an inspection at an onion and rice field hit by drought due to El Niño in Brgy. Central in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (PPA POOL)
MANILA, Philippines — Agricultural damage due to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon has reached P1.6 billion, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in a situational report on Monday.
The weather phenomenon has so far affected 46,805 farmers and fisherfolk and damaged 44,437 hectares of farm lands.
Damage to livestock, poultry, and fisheries is pegged at P772,600.
A total of 2,087,027 individuals in 10 regions nationwide were affected by El Niño.
El Niño prevails nationwide, causing below-normal rainfall conditions that could bring “dry spells” or droughts in some parts of the country until the first quarter of 2024.
But the US weather bureau said the La Niña weather pattern—characterized by unusually cold temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and is linked with floods and drought—could emerge in the second half of 2024 and cause adverse effects to the agriculture sector.