The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday said it has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of National Defense (DND) for the use of the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) aircraft in cloud-seeding operations.
Agriculture Undersecretary Emerson Palad said the MOA also ensures the assistance of cloud-seeding experts from the PAF.
Palad said the MOA took effect immediately after Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala and Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin signed it on May 2.
He added that the DA has also fully used its Quick Response Fund worth P370.08 million, which has been allocated to the affected regions.
Prior to the agreement between the DA and the DND , the Bureau of Soils and Water Management has deployed contracted aircrafts to seed clouds for rain in identified vulnerable agricultural areas and watersheds to minimize the impact of El Niño on crop production.
To date, the DA said a total of 252 sorties (352 flying hours) with a success rate of 68 percent was conducted in various locations in North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Maguindanao, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao City, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Sur, Isabela, Cagayan, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao and Kalinga.
It was also undertaken in areas of wide magnitude where the development of crop such as rice and corn becomes critical due to inadequate soil moisture.
The DA said it has programmed interventions, initiated strategies and activities as early as 2014, among them are the maximization of production in nonthreatened areas; saving vulnerable areas through appropriate irrigation intervention, or crop shifting using short gestation crops; massive information dissemination; and rehabilitation of vulnerable areas that cannot be saved.
To address water scarcity in vulnerable areas, the DA said it had distributed pump irrigation equipment for open source/replacement for damaged/nonfunctional pumps and shallow tube wells to eligible farmers organizations and irrigators’ associations.
The DA said its regional offices has distributed 9,000 bags of hybrid rice seeds, 60,000 bags of rice certified seeds, 20,000 bags of fertilizer and hybrid seed package and paid crop insurance to affected farmers.
For corn, the DA’s regional offices distributed 20,000 bags of hybrid seeds, 30,000 bags of open-pollinated varieties seeds and 30,000 bundles of cassava seed pieces.
The DA said it has also been actively promoting crop shifting through distribution of drought-resistant assorted vegetable seeds, mungbean, peanut and cuttings of sweet potato, watermelon, squash and cucumber.
