Davao city: The Department of Agriculture-Davao (DA-11) has unveiled a comprehensive three-part mitigation strategy to combat the looming threat of El Ni±o, which has already inflicted nearly PHP117 million in damage to crops in the region from January to March.
According to Philippines News Agency, DA-11 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) focal person Joedel Leliza announced at a press briefing that the agency's mitigation plan includes preparatory activities, maximizing production in non-vulnerable areas, and conserving production in vulnerable regions. A key component of these strategies is a standby request for cloud seeding operations, which would be implemented if moisture stress conditions worsen in the coming months.
The third strategy, focused on saving production in vulnerable areas, also encompasses water management, crop shifting, provision of drugs and biologics, feed supplements, and the deployment of agricultural facilities and equipment. Leliza detailed that moisture stress, closely associated with El Ni±o, is a leading cause of agricultural drought, resulting in reduced crop yields. From January 26 to March, moisture stress has already caused PHP76.1 million in damages to rice, PHP26.1 million to corn, and PHP14.1 million to high-value crops, predominantly affecting Davao del Sur and Davao City.
Moisture stress occurs when plants do not receive adequate water, leading to dry soil conditions that cause plants to wilt, grow slowly, or weaken. Leliza noted that Davao del Sur, especially the towns of Matanao and Bansalan, has borne the brunt of the damage due to water not reaching the fields.
In addition, Leliza revealed that in April, the office received reports of further damages amounting to PHP783 million-PHP16.2 million in rice, PHP46 million in corn, and PHP711.5 million in high-value crops. These reports are pending validation, with the provinces tasked to provide verification through photos and geotags.
DA-11's preparatory activities involve weekly field condition monitoring, distribution of seasonal climate outlook advisories, validation of planting targets, production of informative materials, regional coordination meetings, and buffer stocking of farm inputs. The agency aims to safeguard production in vulnerable areas through comprehensive water management, crop shifting, provision of necessary agricultural resources, and potential cloud seeding operations.
