Dry spell is boon, bane for farmers

Despite earlier fears from the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the El NiÔo weather phenomenon would spell disaster for crops, some disagree.

Boon

For Davao del Norte farmlands less and not more rain is needed in this area of Mindanao said provincial agriculturist Dominador Encarnacion Jr. to inquirer.net.

Thousands of farmlands in the province were usually flooded this time of year when the rice plants ripened and Davao del Norte rice lands now need more sunlight in their productive stage for crops to ripen and be ready for harvesting, he said.

Davao del Norte is one of the major rice-producing areas in Southern Mindanao with an annual rice production of 92,000 to 100,000 metric tons, and yields 4.6 to five tons per hectare according to data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics.

Bane

In Pangasinan agricultural lands located near the San Roque dam are verdant, with an abundant water supply and a rehabilitated irrigation system that farmers credit to government support. Still, there’s fear that water will run out with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reporting that the dry spell set to intensify.

"We hope there will be enough water to sustain the palay until we harvest in March," UrVil Irrigators Association president Helen Valenzuela said.

1,000 hectares of land are tilled by at least 700 member-farmers of the association from Urdaneta City and Villasis town.

Weather not the only factor

While the weather is a big factor, it is not the only one said Concilor Geraldo Dalupang, town council agriculture committee chair of San Marcelino, Zambales, once the largest producer of rice in the province.

"Aside from the weather getting worse for farming, I feel that the local government has not given this enough attention. We should concentrate on agriculture, instead of beautification projects and asphalting roads," he said.

Dalupang is coordinating with the DA and international funding agencies to raise P19 million to build shallow tube wells for irrigation.

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