Bacolod City – The Department of Agriculture, Sugar Regulatory Administration, and the provincial government are being asked by Fifth District Rep. Emilio “Dino” Yulo II to prepare for eventual cloud seeding operations, amid dry spell brought about by El Niño phenomenon.
“We are in the middle of planting and cultivation particularly in the sugar industry and getting this extreme heat and probably a dry spell in the coming weeks will have a drastic effect in our agriculture,” Yulo said.
As such, Yulo is making an appeal to the DA, the SRA and the province to “come up with a plan and start preparing for scheduled cloud-seeding, in order to ensure that the sugar industry will not suffer from the extreme weather condition.”
He said that efforts are being done to ensure the sugar industry increases its productivity after a low output in the last crop year, compared to past years.
“We need to make sure that these efforts will not go to waste because we are not prepared to combat the effects of a dry spell which is totally beyond the control of our farmers.” Yulo said in a statement.
The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) is also closely monitoring the water supplies that would be used for irrigation of rice fields and other crops in Negros Occidental.
Provincial Agriculturist Edmundo Causing said the water used for rice fields are usually coming from rain water, prompting farmers to desist from continuing planting for their second cropping, due to dry conditions being experienced in the province.
Causing advised farmers to temporarily switch to drought resistant plants such as root crops as an alternative.
Provincial administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz earlier said that the province is making preparations for the upcoming dry-spell brought by the El Niño phenomenon, and “tiempo muerto” or the closing of the sugar milling season.
Diaz disclosed that the final feasibility study for the Capitol bulk water project may already be completed in the first or second week of April. (Gilbert Bayoran via tvds photo by tvds)