CEBU, Philippines – Bohol province is getting the biggest chunk of the P66.99 million El Niño mitigation budget allotted for Central Visayas.
Joel Elumba, Department of Agriculture regional technical director, said the amount, which is higher than the P48.7 million initially proposed, had already been approved.
Based on the data he provided to The FREEMAN, Bohol is to get P48.1 million while P7.98 million is allocated for Cebu, P5.8 million for Negros Oriental and P1.6 million for Siquijor.
Bohol has the biggest agricultural production area in Region 7.
Among the measures included in the mitigation fund are production support, crop pest management, nutritional supplement for livestock, rehabilitation of irrigation products and water pumps, and cloud seeding operations.
A P6 million fund is being allotted for Bohol’s cloud seeding, which is needed when water resources become critical.
The mitigation plan is part of the DA secretary’s order to DA regional offices to draft comprehensive mechanisms aimed at making the agriculture sector resilient to climate change.
Elumba said the region will continue to see low production this year if, in any case, the El Niño worsens, as predicted by state weather bureau PAGASA.
The DA official estimated agriculture production to have generally decreased by 3-3.5% in 205 due to El Niño which delayed planting of farmers, resulting to less production areas utilized.
PAGASA said the El Niño may prevail through the first half of this year. (FREEMAN)