‘I wish I knew if El Niño would hit my area or my town,’ says Montemayor

Farmers from Guimba, Nueva Ecija harvesting palay (unhusked rice) amid the Covid 19 pandemic as the average palay prices plunged to 13 pesos a kilo due to the effects of Rice Tariffication Law. (Contributed file photo dated September 11, 2020)

MANILA, Philippines — Former Agriculture Secretary and Federation of Free Farmers chair Leonardo Montemayor believes government should roll out an information campaign on the effects of El Niño.

He said this drive can help farmers prepare for the looming drought.

“In general, nakakarinig ang mga magsasaka natin. May napapanood sila na magkakaroon ng El Niño,” said Montemayor in an interview over Radyo 630.

(In general, our farmers can hear. They’ve seen on television that there will be El Niño.)

“Importante, ‘yung actual na pagdating nito at epekto nito sa kanilang lugar ay malaman nang maaga, para makapag [handa] naman sila,” he stressed.

(What’s important is its actual arrival and its effect on their area. They must know in advance so that they can prepare.)

Montemayor said this information dissemination should be backed by international and local weather data, as well as current and past historical records.

“For example, I’m in Nueva Ecija, right? It is one of our main rice-producing provinces,” he said.

“I wish I knew if El Niño would hit my area or my town. Is it severe or not severe?” he asked.

“In areas that lack water, maybe there should be a shift to corn and vegetables,” Montemayor further explained, partly in Filipino.

Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum earlier said more than 60 provinces in the country may experience drought by May 2024.

Solidum said the peak of El Niño is likely to occur in April.

This prediction is a little earlier than what was previously projected by Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.