March 12, 2015
Daily Star by Carla Gomez | http://goo.gl/Y2IcOM
Sugar Regulatory Administrator Ma. Regina Martin yesterday said a mild El Niño is not worrisome for the sugarcane industry because more sun is good for cane growth.
Negros Occidental has not felt a pronounced El Niño yet, she said.
There has been rain in the first quarter of the year, this means the canes are receiving sufficient moisture necessary for initial growth, she said.
“More sun is better than more rain for the canes,” she said, adding that sun is “good for growth and stalk length”.
Contingency measures, should the dry spell worsen, are cloud seeding, water impounding wells, and shallow well irrigation systems, she said.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala yesterday said he has directed all regional offices, concerned bureaus and attached agencies of the Department of Agriculture, to be on their toes against the impact of the El Niño phenomenon.
Alcala said his order included an intensified monitoring and reporting about the status of drought incidence –- which is possibly the initial manifestation of the phenomenon –- in their respective areas, including damage estimates and proposed interventions to help affected farms recover.
His directives came after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration confirmed Tuesday that the Philippines is currently experiencing a mild case of El Niño.
Experts said it means that a short dry spell may persist in some parts of the country and may prolong the dry season.
But despite the pronouncement, the Agriculture chief said they are hoping for a minimal effect on major crops as initial reports from the field have shown that a significant number of palay and corn farmers have started to harvest their crops as early as last month.
“In fact, many of those who have harvested their crops have even already planted another cropping,” he said.
“Field validation on the volume of harvested crops as well as crops that may be affected by the phenomenon is ongoing and DA will come up with figures at the soonest possible time,” Alcala said.
He said the DA has been taking a proactive stance against the weather event even before it was officially announced by the state weather bureau.