The Department of Agriculture in the Western Visayas has allotted P15 million for cloud-seeding operations in the six provinces of the region to minimize the effects of the dry spell brought on by the El Niño phenomenon, DA Region 6 Director Roy Abaya, said yesterday.

Abaya said at the inauguration of the Negros First Rice Processing Center in Barangay Tabunan, Bago City, Negros Occidental, that the officials of the provinces who wish to avail of the fund must make a request with DA Region 6.

He said the Bureau of Soils and Water Management will evaluate the request before it will recommending it to the DA for release of the funds for a particular province.

Abaya also said that as of yesterday, only the provinces of Iloilo and Negros Occidental have sent requests for the funding of their cloud-seeding operations.

In Negros Occidental, cloud-seeding has been ongoing since last week and the P2.4 million budget used by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist came from the P4 million Provincial Risk Disaster Management Fund of last year.

Cloud-seeding operations brought rain to the cities of Kabankalan, Sipalay, Silay, Talisay, Cadiz, Escalante and the highlands of Sagay City and Hinoba-an town, while a drizzle was experienced in Bago City and the southern part of Bacolod City.

Crops in Cadiz, Escalante, Sagay and San Carlos cities, and in the towns of Calatrava and Toboso were badly affected by the dry spell in northern Negros Occidental, while agricultural products from Himamaylan City to Hinoba-an town in the southern part of the province were also not spared.

Total losses in agricultural crops in Negros Occidental are pegged at P18 million, OPA record show.

Abaya, however, said there is a consolidated report on which provinces in Western Visayas were badly affected by the dry spell.*APN

back to top