Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday announced plans to double its support in select areas to mitigate the impact of the anticipated super El Ni±o in the Philippines. In a statement made during the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines' (EJAP) food security forum, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. revealed the department's strategic focus on palay (unhusked rice) areas that are less susceptible to extreme heat.

According to Philippines News Agency, the 'agricultural drought' is expected to severely affect major rice-producing regions during the peak of El Ni±o. Secretary Tiu Laurel emphasized that intervention efforts would concentrate on areas with relatively higher water availability, including palay plantations in southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. 'There are areas na mas maraming tubig than usual, doon tayo magdo-double down ngayon ng interventions,' Tiu Laurel stated, highlighting the department's adaptive strategy.

The DA plans to provide more seeds per hectare and increased fertilizer support in these regions to counterbalance any deficits that may arise in less favorable areas. The agriculture chief underscored the importance of supporting farmers in regions likely to experience soil moisture shortages due to agricultural drought. He stressed, "Those areas we just have to support the farmers, whatever way possible - that's the whole of government and local government units."

Regions such as the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Western Mindoro are among those identified as potentially affected by a lack of soil moisture. To date, the DA estimates potential production losses of approximately 700,000 metric tons (MT) in palay output due to the strong El Ni±o, possible weather disturbances, and recent global spikes in fuel and fertilizer prices. This figure is slightly higher than the historical average production losses, which range from 500,000 MT to 600,000 MT annually.