El Niño has begun wreaking havoc on local farmlands, with the value of losses due to the dry spell surging to more than P6.8 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
In its latest bulletin, the DA noted that El Niño ravaged crops across various plantations worth P6.87 billion. The weather phenomenon affected 223,214 farmers.
Nearly 250,000 hectares of land have been damaged by the dry spell, with 77 percent or 192,766 hectares still having a chance to recover.
Production losses were already pegged at 163,812 metric tons (MT) across 14 regions, with the corn sector suffering the brunt of the dry spell’s impact, damaging 126,883 MT of output worth P4.9 billion.
This was followed by rice at 25,196 MT, with losses valued at P1.53 billion. High-value crops also recorded damages at 11,720 MT worth P396.93 million.
The domestic livestock and poultry industry was not spared by El Niño, as it affected 6,394 heads of various animals worth P36.94 million.
Citing state weather bureau Pagasa, the DA noted that the ongoing El Niño phenomenon would continue until the first half of 2027. It is projected to reach a “very strong” state by the end of this year.
To address the dry spell’s effects on the farm sector, the agency said it has rolled out P10.96 billion worth of interventions for the affected farmers.
This includes P10.53 billion worth of assistance for production support, such as farm inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and soil conditioner, among others.
It also distributed 23,459 native chickens to 78 groups of farmers and 246 farmer individuals through the Philippine Native Animal Development (PNAD) Program and Animal Production and Distribution (APAD).
The DA said it conducted cloud seeding operations in collaboration with other government agencies in agricultural and watershed areas in Cagayan Valley, including Magat Dam.
It also installed 338 water pumps to enhance water supply in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula.
The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) has also allocated indemnification checks worth P427.07 million to 42,383 farmers as compensation.
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