The request of Negros Occidental province for cloud seeding is still awaiting the decision of the Department of Agriculture (DA) which is validating standing crops that might possibly be affected.
In a phone interview yesterday, Engr. Remelyn Recoter, regional executive director of DA Western Visayas, said mangoes in Guimaras are in their flowering stage while there are farmers in central Iloilo who are planting watermelon.
She said the dry condition is favorable to mangoes.
Aside from the crops that might be affected, another consideration is the availability of seedable clouds. If there are no available clouds then they could not perform cloud seeding, Recoter added.
“We are just preparing because we are still in the process of validating,” she said.
She said they have to be balanced in making a decision. Standing crops, especially palay, is almost on their harvest stage.
They also have to look into the possible losses, such as the mangoes in Guimaras, should the rain as a result of the cloud seeding fails to fall on the target areas, she added.
The director said that they also have other options if the cloud seeding is not possible.
“We will just preposition our rehabilitation such as available seeds (rice and corn) that they can use on the next cropping,” she said.
DA can also lend pumps and engines for those with available water sources.
Recoter confirmed though that the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) has downloaded P2.5 million to the DA for the cloud seeding.
The Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) in a report to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) said that around P6 million worth of crops, mostly rice, were affected by the dry spell in the province.*(Perla Lena, PNA via NDB)