• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The dry spell brought about by El Niño phenomenon continues to wreak havoc on rice and corn crops in the towns and cities of central and southern Negros, causing total damage valued at P24,958,943, as of February 22, according to reports of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.
Negros Occ. 5th district Rep. Emilio “Dino” Yulo has sounded the alarm on Tuesday, as he reiterated his call for the Department of Agriculture and Sugar Regulatory Administration to start the conduct of cloud seeding operations, taking advantage of cloud formations.
The dry spell has already affected 539 hectares of rice and corn farms in 55 barangays of Himamaylan City, Isabela, Binalbagan, Moises Padilla and Hinigaran, which compose the 5th district of Negros Occidental, as well as Cauayan, Hinobaan, Sipalay City, and Ilog, in the sixth district of the province.
Stressing that his office cannot afford to give assistance to every affected farmer in the 5th district of Negros Occidental, Yulo, who used to be a SRA board member, said that the “national government should step in.”
The OPA also reported that the dry spell in nine Negros Occidental LGUs has affected 581 farmers.
In her report to Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, OPA officer-in-charge Dina Genzola, disclosed that damage to rice has risen to P24,801.90, while corn incurred damage placed at P157,852.80.
OPA reports further indicated that 12 of the 25 Cauayan town barangays were hit by the dry spell, affecting 102.50 hectares and affecting 104 farmers.*
