EL NIÑO REHABILITATION
All 51 component towns and cities of Cebu will get P10 million in assorted vegetable seeds and plastic drums from the provincial government in time for the next cropping season.
Roldan Saragena, provincial agriculturist officer-in-charge, said P5 million has been allocated to Capitol’s rehabilitation program for areas affected by the mild El Niño.
Meanwhile, the other P5 million is intended to compensate for the damage caused by typhoon Seniang to farm commodities last year. Damage to crops due to Seniang was pegged at P7 million.
In May this year, the Provincial Board declared a province-wide state of calamity due to the effects of the mild El Niño.
Saragena said the state of calamity over the province due to the dry spell was not lifted even after rain fell for several days earlier this month.
Despite a declaration of the start of the rainy season, state weather bureau Pagasa forecasted the dry spell would persist until early next year.
Capitol is expediting the procurement of seeds so that farmers will be able to use them for the next cropping season, which normally starts between August and September.
Under the El Niño rehabilitation plan, all 51 local government units will get their share of seeds and plastic drums.
The Provincial Agriculture Office obtained 39,000 seed packs of okra, string beans, ampalaya, tomato, kangkong, sikwa, upo, eggplant, squash, pechay, chili pepper, bell pepper and cucumber, among others. Also included were 20,800 seeds and pieces of mango, cacao and banana suckers.
The plastic drums, on the other hand, will be used to store water.
Since the onset of the dry spell, the provincial government has been encouraging farmers to save and store up water in case the effects of El Niño persist.
Capitol has been distributing seeds, especially to those affected by the typhoon, since June this year.
Last July 21, the provincial government distributed 1,700 food packs and assorted vegetable seeds to 15 barangays in the municipality of Moalboal.