NIA Adjusts Planting Calendar to Avoid Typhoon Losses

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) plans to promote adjustments to the traditional rice planting calendar to avoid typhoon-related losses and increase rice production during the dry season.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) reports that typhoons and floods, which typically occur in September and October, cause an annual loss of 500,000 to 600,000 metric tons (MT) of palay (unmilled rice). These months coincide with the wet season harvest.

NIA Administrator Eduardo Eddie G. Guillen suggested shifting rice planting to October and November instead of the traditional June and July schedule. This adjustment would allow farmers to harvest in January and February, avoiding typhoon damage.

Guillen emphasized that farmers in irrigated areas could take advantage of a second cropping season, harvesting another crop in May and June, before the peak of the rainy season. He cited the success of “quick turn around” (QTA) technology, already practiced by some progressive farmers in irrigated areas, which enables two rice harvests in one dry season.

Rice yields are generally higher during the dry season due to better sunlight exposure, controlled water availability through irrigation, and reduced risks of floods and typhoons. Studies show that dry-season palay yields are 0.5 to 1.5 tons per hectare higher compared to wet-season yields.

Guillen explained that the adjusted planting calendar would create a double dry-season cropping cycle, followed by a fallow period during the rainy and typhoon season. This fallow period would allow farmers to plant alternative cash crops, replenish soil nutrients, and prepare the land for the next dry-season planting cycles.

For the 2025 crop year, the NIA aims to cover more than 1 million hectares for the first dry season, approximately 355,000 hectares for the second dry season, and over 1.26 million hectares for the regular wet season. The agency conducted extensive planning and consultations with irrigators’ associations (IAs) nationwide to ensure the success of this initiative.

The NIA aims to increase the country’s cropping intensity from the current 1.6 to at least 2.0, which is expected to boost annual palay production significantly.

“We aim to improve national palay production and ensure farmers maximize their harvests while adapting to the changing climate,” Guillen said.