Agriculture advocates at Tugon Kabuhayan on Tuesday cited the confusion created in the wake of the government apparently mishandling information related to the El Niño weather disturbance and its impact on rice production.
According to the activist group, clarity is urgently required as the mishandling has discouraged farmers from planting rice on fears the crop will only be damaged by drought.
Norbert Chingcuanco, Tugon Kabuhayan co-convenor, claimed most farmers “believe El Niño is already here and therefore, no longer want to plant palay. This is in contrast to what science and history is saying.”
The dry months of El Niño is forecast to last around October this year after which the rains will come, Chingcuanco said.
He cited a Department of Health information campaign on El Niño reminding people to drink water as countermeasure: “I can understand DOH reminding people to drink more water which is good. But the way it was broadcasted was as if El Niño is already here.”
Ann Solis, assistant weather services chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, said that by the end of the year, around 36 provinces may experience a dry spell while two more face a drought.
A dry spell typically lasts three months with 60 percent reduction in rainfall while a drought lasts around five months with more than 60 percent reduction in rain fall.
Raul Montemayor, Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) national manager, warned that because of El Niño, global rice prices are starting to go inflate as more countries stockpile on the grain.
He said that at present, free on board prices from Vietnam and Thailand have increased by five percent compared to January or February prices, roughly equivalent to an additional P2 per kilo landed cost of imported rice in Manila ports with tariff.
“If we are hit by El Niño and our output is slashed, we will need higher imports, we face added price pressures. As I said, most probably this will happen next year although this year there are already slight movements. But maybe there is still time to prepare,” he added.
With imported rice prices rising, domestic rice prices are given a boost, requiring government to strike a balance, Montemayor explained.
Lemnuel Aragones, professor at the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology at the University of the Philippines, said local government unit-hosted meteorologists will help limit the debilitating impact of El Nino phenomenon.
“We hope there will be a clear plantilla item for meteorologists in each LGU. For a more effective information drive, LGUs have to have agricultural technologists who are graduates of meteorology,” Aragones said.
Earlier, the Department of Agriculture (DA) warned that 46 provinces from the Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, National Capital Region, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas and Caraga may experience below normal rainfall, affecting crops like rice, corn and coconut and various fruit and vegetables due to El Niño.
The DA recently reactivated the National El Niño Task Force and adopt an enhanced El Niño Mitigation and Adaptation Plan to include interventions such as cloud seeding over watersheds of affected reservoirs, provision of production support for crops, livestock and fisheries sub-sectors, water conservation information campaigns and active community participation and reinforced coordination with concerned agencies.
said in a virtual briefing yesterday that among government-led efforts that may need re-evaluation is the Department of Health’s (DOH) current public reminder to drink water amid the El Niño.
