FAO helps Mindanao recover from El Niño

MANILA, Philippines – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has expanded its response and rehabilitation operations in Mindanao following the recently-ended El Niño episode that hit the country.

The UN-attached agency provided farm inputs worth P23.7 million to additional 5,500 small-scale farming households in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Soccskargen to complement government efforts in livelihood restoration in hard-hit areas.

FAO distributed certified rice, corn and vegetable seeds and fertilizers in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, Saranggani, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao to improve the resilience of farmers and fisher folks in the areas.

“These inputs will allow them to re-start their livelihood activities and grow food for household consumption,” FAO Philippine representative Jose Luis Fernandez said.

Data showed that the four provinces covering 101,000 hectares of crop areas recorded an almost $18 million worth of production losses during the onset of El Niño from February 2015 to July 2016.

FAO is conducting training activities on drought management, improved crop production and resilience to climate-stress to beneficiary communities.

In a similar El Niño response which ended June 2016, FAO also funded over $2 million in assistance that involved value adding technologies, start-up resources, and training on farm-level vulnerability assessments and risk reduction planning.

To date, FAO has assisted a total of 54,300 farming households in Luzon and Mindanao whose livelihoods were affected by drought and strong typhoons associated with El Niño.

The local agriculture industry lost almost P13 billion with 1.2 million metric tons of crops damaged during the period.

As the Philippines braces for La Niña, the FAO and the Department of Agriculture are also in the works to cushion the farming industry from the devastating effects of El Niño.

State weather bureau PAGASA activated the La Niña Watch last May and warned of possible flooding in low lying agricultural lands, extensive damage to standing crops, increase in pest and disease and coastal erosion due to strong waves and coastal flooding, among others.

PAGASA said more rains are expected in the eastern side of the country particularly in Quezon, Bicol, Samar, Leyte, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley and the CARAGA region.