Philippines: Farmers in the Philippines are facing mounting debts and food shortages as severe drought linked to a powerful El Nino weather phenomenon destroys rice crops and threatens their livelihoods.
In Nueva Ecija, north-central Philippines, vast areas of farmland have dried up, leaving farmers with little or nothing to harvest after months of investment in seeds, fertiliser and labour.
Drone footage filmed on Monday shows extensive stretches of dried rice fields around Barangay Darapidap, highlighting the impact of prolonged water shortages on local agriculture.
Farmers Lose Entire Harvests
Farmer Virgilio Rojor said his family was unprepared for the sudden drought, which wiped out their entire rice harvest.
He explained that they had already spent money on seeds, fertiliser and wages for 28 workers before discovering there was no water left when the crops were ready for harvesting.
Rojor said the family was left with nothing despite investing heavily in the planting season.
The financial impact has also changed how his household gets food. Previously, his family produced its own rice, but they now have to purchase it from others.
He said they had even started eating porridge at times because of their financial difficulties.
Rojor appealed for government assistance, saying buying rice was something his family had never needed to do before the drought.
Rice Farmers Trapped In Debt
The situation is also affecting farmers in nearby Barangay Kirang, where rice production is the main source of income for many households.
Farmer Patricia Rivera said local families were struggling financially after borrowing money to grow crops that eventually failed.
With their main source of income gone, farmers have been left without enough money to repay their debts or continue planting.
Rivera described the situation as financially devastating, explaining that the community had become heavily indebted after investing in crops that could not survive the dry conditions.
She also stressed how important rainfall was to their survival, saying farmers had no reliable livelihood when the rain stopped.
El Nino Threatens More Provinces
The agricultural crisis comes as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warns that a very strong El Nino is affecting the country.
According to the weather agency, five provinces are experiencing drought conditions, while another 11 are facing prolonged dry spells.
The Department of Agriculture also reported that Philippine rice production dropped by around 18 per cent in the third quarter compared with the same period a year earlier.
El Nino is a natural climate pattern associated with warmer-than-usual ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. It can disrupt normal rainfall patterns and increase the risk of drought in parts of Southeast Asia.
The current weather conditions are expected to continue affecting the Philippines into the first half of 2027.
With rice harvests declining and farming families struggling with debt, the prolonged drought is raising concerns about agricultural livelihoods and food supplies across affected communities.
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