Rice output to drop as El Niño hits

MANILA, Philippines —  The country’s rice production is projected to drop by 700,000 metric tons this year amid the looming “strong” El Niño, the Department of Agriculture said yesterday.

The DA said the figure makes up 3.5 percent of the annual production target, stressing that this signals serious risks for the nation’s food security and rural incomes.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. earlier ordered the reconvening of the El Niño task force to prepare the country for a potentially severe episode later this year, warning that the prolonged dry spell could hit crop production, hurt farmers’ incomes and drive up food prices.

“It is imperative that we put in place interventions that mitigate the impact of El Niño on agriculture, the livelihoods of farmers, fisherfolk, and others in the value chain, as well as its adverse effects on food supply, prices, and consumers,” Tiu Laurel said.

To counter these effects, the DA has rolled out measures including cloud seeding to boost rainfall, deployment of solar-powered irrigation systems, adjustments to the planting calendar to align with the northeast monsoon or habagat, and crop diversification programs aimed at stabilizing farmers’ earnings.