Cloud-seed operations on in Bohol

TAGBILARAN CITY—Agriculture officials started cloud-seeding operations on Tuesday to save crops from further ruin due to the long drought caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon.

The operations will continue for a month depending on the availability of clouds that process dried fine salt into rainwater, according to the Provincial Agriculture’s Office (PAO). Some 700 bags of salt have been prepared for the mission.

Cloud seeding is a weather modification method in which chemical “nuclei,” such as silver iodide or calcium chloride, are introduced in the atmosphere to induce condensation, and eventually, precipitation.

It aims to cushion the impact of the dry spell and maintain the productivity of farmers, said Leon Parac Jr., agricultural technician of the PAO.

A weak El Niño started in Bohol during the third quarter of 2015, said Leonard Samar of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in Bohol. “Now, the province is experiencing a strong El Niño,” he said.

Hot spot

Bohol, considered one of the El Niño hot spots in the country, has been experiencing less rainfall compared to previous months because of the erratic weather conditions, despite the occurrence of typhoons in 2015. It is also the rice bowl of the Central Visayas, with a total of 47,375 hectares of rice fields, of which 23,041 ha are irrigated and 24,336 ha are rain-fed.

“Minimal rainfall is observed during the onset of January 2016,” Parac said.

Major dams need replenishment to have enough water supply, he added. These are the Malinao Dam in Pilar town with a service area of 4,700 ha; Bayongan Dam in San Miguel town, 5,300 ha; Capayas in Ubay town, 1,100 ha; and Zamora Dam in Talibon town, about 1,000 ha.

Samar suggested that farmers plant crops which are resistant to heat and have shorter growth periods.

According to Parac, the El Niño Task Force, which is composed of Pagasa, Bureau of Soils and Water Management, and the Philippine Air Force, met on Dec. 14 last year to tackle preparations for the coming drought. Experts had said that the situation would be worse than the 1997-1998 El Niño.

Cloud-seeding operations were scheduled on Dec. 14-23 last year but were postponed when Typhoons “Nona” (international name: Melor) and Tropical Depression “Onyok” bought excessive rainfall to Bohol.

Some P2.2 million has been allocation by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office for the mission, Parac said. “The cloud-seeding is urgent to save rice lands from further destruction due to lack of water from irrigation dams,” he said.

Even if the dams are filled up with water, a majority of the 55,850 ha of the rice land are still in the land preparation phase for second cropping (September 2015 to March 2016), the official said.