Getting ready for El Niño: Farmers told to plant resilient crops
A ranking regional official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) is encouraging farmers in Central Visayas to plant fast-maturing and drought-resistant crops to mitigate the effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon.
Regional technical director for research and regulations Joel Elumba said the DA has stocked up on drought-resistant varieties of corn and rice since the last quarter of last year in anticipation of the weather phenomenon. He said the seeds would be distributed to farmers.
They may also consider alternate crops like cassava, sweet potatoes, mung beans and squash which don’t need much water to thrive.
Elumba called on the public to help them monitor agriculture production areas which are under threat of El Niño. He said that timely feedback would be the agency’s strongest tool in combating the effects of El Nino.
Meanwhile, water levels in reservoirs across the region remain near full capacity.
The National Irrigation Administation (NIA) however noted a decrease in water supply in five out of 10 reservoirs in the region from May to June this year.
In Metro Cebu, the Metropolitan Cebu Water District reiterated its call for water conservation.
The MCWD said that while recent rains have refilled water sources like the Buhisan Dam and Jaclupan Weir, it is still best to conserve water so that the reservoirs would have enough supply when El Niño strikes by August or September.
Without the two surface water sources, MCWD’s daily production of 200,000 cubic meters could decrease by as much as 40,000 cubic meters.
Norma Monisit, acting manager of the Irrigation Management Office Bohol-Cebu, said that the decrease in water elevation is not alarming.
“The storage capacity of our dams in region 7 are still quite good,” she said.
Monisit however said that they are closely monitoring the dams in Bohol and Negros Oriental.
The biggest reservoir in Central Visayas is located in Dauin, Negros Oriental, which at full capacity is at an elevation of 377 meters above sea level.
Last June 10, the NIA has noted a 3.9-meter decrease in the dam’s water elevation.
Monisit said it will reach its critical level once the elevation goes down to 364.8 meters.
“Our first priority in all this is to be able to provide water to crops,” she said.
Summer-like weather
But even as preparations for the dry spell are underway, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) warned that two to three typhoons are expected to hit Metro Cebu in the next three months.
After tropical depression Ester moves out from Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) two other typhoons could hit Cebu before the onset of the El Niño.
The general profile of daily weather according to Pagasa this month till August are partly cloudy to sunny mornings with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms in the afternoon and nighttime.
Pagasa added that the occurrence of a tornado may be possible if there will be severe thunderstorms.
Temperature is expected to range from 24 to 34 degrees Celsius./With Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos, Michelle Joy L. Padayhag and USJ-R Intern Maeine R. Mosquite
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