AGRICULTURE UPDATE. Jennilyn Dawayan (4th from left), regional executive director of the Department of Agriculture in the Cordillera Administrative Region, leads in briefing the media about the programs, projects, activities, and accomplishments of the agency during the 'Bagong Pilipinas' press conference in Baguio City on Tuesday (June 18, 2024). Among the topics discussed is the agency’s preparation for the La Niña phenomenon, which is anticipated to affect the region’s agriculture industry. (PNA photo by Liza T. Agoot)
BAGUIO CITY – As part of its heightened information campaign on La Niña, the Department of Agriculture in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) has prepared farmers to minimize pest problems and other anticipated impacts associated with the weather phenomenon.
“We have our La Niña preparedness plan, which includes activities throughout the wet season. We have allotted a budget as an assurance that immediate response can be undertaken, especially the preparedness stage, which is aimed at minimizing the impact to our farmers,” said Danilo Daguio, DA-CAR regional technical director for operations, during the “Bagong Pilipinas” press briefing here on Tuesday.
DA-CAR cautioned of five possible pests that can damage plants during the rain-spawned season including bacterial leaf blight, sheath blight, blast, brown planthopper and stemborer.
Daguio said the most common triggering conditions for pests are damp soil and frequent rains, both of which occur during La Niña, as well as close plant spacing and the application of a high nitrogen fertilizer rate.
Corn, which also suffered PHP902.1 million in damage due to the recent El Niño that affected 12,717 farmers in the region, is again at risk from specific pests. These are bacterial stalk rot, downy mildew, banded leaf and sheath blight, aphids and rodents.
According to DA-CAR, each pest has a specific management method that can be addressed through cultural, biological, physical, or chemical control. The most common control measure involves the practice of proper field sanitation and drainage, plant rotation, and balanced fertilizer application.
Preparedness
Meanwhile, Daguio said the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Service (RAFIS) has launched an integrated platform to raise farmers' awareness of potential risks and hazards and improve their preparedness for the challenges.
Meetings with farmers will also capacitate the sector and prepare them for natural weather events, he said, specifically on crop insurance and the availability of possible government support and services they can access.
Jennilyn Dawayan, DA-CAR regional executive director, said the plan also includes consultations with agricultural extension workers and local government units to orient them on damage and loss assessment reporting and provide immediate information to the DA.
“Our farmers suffered from super typhoon Egay last year. They were also affected by El Niño. We hope that La Niña will spare them,” Dawayan said.
She said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is expected to visit the Cordillera in July to personally distribute additional government assistance to the 28,369 farmers affected by El Niño. (PNA)
