DA XII prepares for cloud seeding

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato--- The Department of Agriculture (DA) XII is now working on the conduct of cloud seeding operations in the region.

Engineer Milagros Casis, regional executive director of DA XII, said the agency has already allocated P2.5 million for said intervention. 

“We are just processing some more documents in order for us to kick-start the cloud seeding operations together with the Bureau of Soils and Water Management,” Director Casis noted. 

She said they are hoping to do the cloud seeding by end of March, wherein a total of 40 cloud seeding sorties will be conducted in the region in anticipation of El Niño.

“This intervention is part of our preparation and mitigation activities in line with the anticipated El Niño phenomenon,” she said.

Recently, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) released an advisory which indicated a weak El Niño and below normal rainfall in the coming months.

But Casis said they will no longer wait for a new advisory, and at this early, the DA XII will work on interventions that are beneficial for farmers.

Field Operations Division officer-in-charge Ray Embajador also said that 9,000 bags of palay seeds from the DA’s Quick Response Fund are ready for distribution to rehabilitate areas which will be hit by El Niño. 

He added that this intervention will only be released to affected areas that need rehabilitation after undergoing DA XII’s validation.

“Although there were already municipalities which declared ‘under the state of calamity’… we will still subject the areas for validation,” Embajador stressed.

He also advised farmers to prudently choose rice varieties or plant legumes and root crops such as cassava, camote, and even watermelon since these are drought-resilient crops.

The DA XII also reminded local agriculture offices to conduct continuous monitoring of possible occurrence of diseases and pests outbreaks since they are prevalent to priority crops such as rice and corn. (Carl Ulysses L. Aguillon, DA-RAFIS 12)


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