Despite drought, no corn shortage in ARMM, exec says

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines  --- Supply of corn in the province and in other parts of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) remains adequate despite the dry spell now devastating farms in the area, officials said.

Makmod Mending Jr., secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAF-ARMM), said they have started implementing measures to mitigate  the impact of the continuing drought in the province.

Most Moro, Christian and indigenous highland residents in Maguindanao rely on rice and corn farming as main source of income.

Mending said their personnel  are now inspecting scorched rice and cornfields to determine what alternative drought-tolerant short-term crops local farmers could plant to substitue their current crop.

"We have recommended to them to plant watermelon, peanuts and other kinds of legumes," he said.

Legumes are also called "nitrogen-fixing plants"  or plants that restore the fertility of soil.

Mending said provincial agricultural officers in the ARMM provinces of Lanao del Sur, and in the Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (Basulta) area have also been  looking for viable alternative approaches to lessen the burden of farmers now complaining of crop failures due to extremely dry weather.

“We will seek the immediate support of the central office of the Department of Agriculture in case we will need its help,” Mending said.

Initial data obtained from Mending’s office indicated that in Maguindanao alone, 2, 273 hectares of corn crops have been withered by the dry spell in the province.

“Reports are still coming in. These inputs will help us plan things out,” Mending said.

Worst hit by the drought are the towns of Datu Hofer, Talayan, North Upi, South Upi and several other municipalities in the first district of Maguindanao.

“Most of the affected farmers belong to the lumad, or indigenous non-Moro peasant communities,” Mending said

Despite the damages wrought by the drought, the autonomous region still have enough supply of corn from local production, according to Mending.

The ARMM’s regional executive secretary, Laisa Alamia, said the regional government’s Humanitarian Emergency Assistance and Relief Team (HEART) has also been monitoring the situation of farmers in areas affected by the drought.

Alamia said the inter-agency HEART is now working closely with Mending’s office in planning measures  to mitgate the drought's impact. - John Unson