DA sets cloud seeding over Negros as crops continue to wither

INQUIRER FILES

BACOLOD CITY — The Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) aims to start cloud seeding operations in Negros Occidental and Western Visayas in the first week of July to mitigate crop damage caused by a lack of rain.

The BSWM said it has bid out the cloud seeding project and is in the process of awarding the contract for the procurement and rental of aircraft, DA Negros Island Region Director Jose Albert Barrogo said on Wednesday.

The bureau has allocated P6 million for the initiative, but may increase the amount if needed, Barrogo said.

READ: Negros Occidental crop losses reach P16.2M

Barrogo said the cloud seeding team will be stationed in Bacolod City, with crews on standby to deploy immediately once suitable cloud formations are spotted.

The intervention comes amid rising concerns over crop damage caused by severe moisture stress due to a lack of rain. While the DA is still awaiting a consolidated regional report on the full extent of the damage, local losses are already mounting.

According to a May 22 report from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, Negros Occidental has already suffered P16.2 million in damages to rice and high-value crops due to extreme moisture stress. /mcm