ARMM seeks PHP45-M mitigating budget to cushion El Nino impact

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=800674
• Saturday, September 5, 2015

(PNA), JBP/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Sept. 5 (PNA) -- Agriculture officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have asked for a PHP-45 million El Nino mitigation fund from the Department of Agriculture central office to cushion the impact of impending drought.

Lawyer Makmod Mending Jr, regional secretary of Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF-ARMM), said ARMM, composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, are among the 45 provinces in the country expected to suffer the brunt of El Nino phenomenon beginning next month.

“This could result to low rice and corn production,” Mending told reporters. “Our agriculture and fishery sectors are also vulnerable to losses, we are taking steps,” he added.

A monthly forecast summary for the ARMM showed Basilan, Maguindanao and Sulu will experience below normal rainfall during the later part of 2015, Mending said.

Because of this abnormal situation, agriculture officials predict heavy losses for hundreds of hectares of rice fields which are dependent on rainfall.

Mending explained that the proposed el Nino mitigating funds will be used for programs that will lessen the impact of drought, giving farmers alternate livelihood, cloud seeding operations to induce rains, medicine for animals to make them stronger amid excruciating heat and procurement of heat-resistant varieties of agricultural crops to be distributed to affected farmers.

Maguindanao has two major irrigation dams. These are the Kabulnan Irrigation Dam and the Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Dam.

“We are closely monitoring the water level of these two dams, if irrigation officials say water is enough then we can advise our farmers to plant,” he said.

He said farmers in Maguindanao had just harvested crops. The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) will update DAF-ARMM on the status of water level of these two dams.

“If they give us go signal to plant because the water volume is still okay, we will recommend to our farmers to plant, if not then we have other mitigating measures,” Mending said in a radio interview.

Mending admitted that his office is putting up plans to help farmers farming about 80,000 hectares that are rainfed.

As part of the preparation against the dry spell, Mending said he directed Field Operations Director Keise Usman to organize a Task Force El Nino to closely monitor the agriculture sector and recommend appropriate actions.

To ensure all areas are covered during the critical period, Mending wanted a twice a week report from the task force “so we can take appropriate action at appropriate time.”

A mild El Nino hit Maguindanao in early part of 2015 during which the province recorded some 14,000 metric tons rice production loss.

According to state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the Philippines is among the worst affected countries in the Asia Pacific region when the phenomenon starts to bring in warm temperature.

Anthony Lucero, PAGASA climate monitoring and prediction chief, said during El Niño, temperature is higher than normal and rainfall is below normal.

A depressing scenario was painted by PAGASA, saying more than half of the country’s 76 provinces will suffer dry spell. It sees a reduced rainfall of 60 to 80 percent.

This year’s El Nino is seen as stronger than the one that hit the country in 1997-98 and will surely affect power generations, especially in Mindanao where hydropower plants provide electricity to the island.