Farmers warned against onset of El Niño

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang warned yesterday farmers and the public regarding the onset of the El Niño phenomenon or dry spell in the country that could adversely affect crops and other food sources.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said President Arroyo ordered the speedy completion of irrigation projects to mitigate the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.

The possible effect of the El Niño phenomenon was taken up during the Cabinet meeting at the Palace yesterday.

Presidential Management Staff chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the Arroyo administration has so far constructed irrigation facilities worth P67.71 billion that cover 1.5 million hectares of agricultural lands.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Deputy Director General Margarita Songco said after the recent severe weather disturbances, the abnormal dry weather conditions are expected to continue until the first few months of next year.

“It’s about time we advise sectors of the economy that will be affected by the expected El Niño to be prepared, to inform them what types of commodities can be affected by this expected El Niño phenomenon,” Songco told a news briefing.

She said below normal rainfall conditions are already being experienced in some provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Fajardo said the government is also implementing other measures to help the farmers, including distributing early maturing seeds and fast-tracking small water impounding projects.

Songco said sea surface temperatures have reportedly warmed slightly in recent weeks.

She said the El Niño phenomenon lingers even when northern and central Luzon registered extraordinary amounts of rainfall in October due to typhoons “Ondoy,” “Pepeng” and “Santi.”

NEDA officials, however, said the effects of the El Niño phenomenon have already been taken into account by government planners in forecasting the country’s growth of 0.8 percent to 1.8 percent.