El Niño agriculture damage reaches P151.3 million

MANILA, Philippines — Damage to agriculture due to El Niño in Western Visayas and Zamboanga peninsula has reached P151.3 million, with 3,291 hectares of agricultural land affected, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Latest data showed that 3,923 farmers were affected.

Losses amounting to P141.2 million covered 2,971 hectares of rice fields.

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the provincial government would provide financial assistance of P2,500 each to farmers affected by the drought.

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist said damage due to the dry spell in Negros Occidental has increased to P12.8 million.

Meanwhile, the water levels in nine dams in Luzon continue to recede.

Binga Dam in Benguet recorded the biggest drop in water elevation at 571.33 meters yesterday, or 3.67 meters below its normal high level of 575 meters.

In Angat Dam, the water level dropped by .21 meters compared to its previous level of 209.76 meters, or 2.45 meters below its normal high of 212 meters.

The water elevations in Ipo Dam in Bulacan, La Mesa Dam in Quezon City, Ambuklao Dam in Benguet, San Roque Dam in Pangasinan, Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija, Magat Dam in Isabela and Caliraya Dam in Laguna were also below their normal high levels.