Negros Occ agri office asked to present ‘detailed El Niño plan’

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz is asking the Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPA) to come up with a detailed plan on how to address the adverse effects of the El Niño on farmers in Negros Occidental.

According to Pagasa, El Niño is characterized by unusually warmer than average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.

As an effect, below-normal rains are expected, which can cause dry spells and droughts in several areas of the country

Earlier, the OPA proposed a budget of P15 million to mitigate the effects of the dry spell on Negrense farmers.

However, Diaz said the proposal of OPA headed by Edmundo Raul Causing is “so vague, so generalized.”

“I wanted them to come up with areas that are going to be affected by El Nino, and what is their intervention,” Diaz pointed out.

Causing earlier told reporters that they have already conducted a survey of the large areas of rice fields, and met with farmers to listen to their plans and suggestions that could minimize the effects of dry spell, and how the provincial government can help them.

“We will not just give them the P15 million if they are not ready with their research. They have to go to the area where there is a problem with water irrigation,” Diaz further said after scrutinizing the OPA project proposal.

Diaz also said that while there is an amount set aside for interventions, they will not release the money if there is no clear direction where the intervention is going.

It can be recalled that Rep. Emilio Yulo III (5th district, Negros Occidental) called on the Department of Agriculture, Sugar Regulatory Administration, and the provincial government for the conduct of cloud seeding operations to combat the ongoing dry spell.

On his part, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said that cloud seeding is one of the options to alleviate the dry condition.

He pointed out that there are still rain clouds and some Negros areas are experiencing rainfall.

“Cloud seeding is always an option, when there is a long drought we always request for cloud seeding,” the governor said.

He further said that “maybe the time now is also good as you can experience there is still rain clouds and we also experience some rainfall.”

Lacson cited that in the past through the Department of Agriculture and the Sugar Regulatory Administration cloud seeding was conducted.