El Niño to have small impact on agri —NEDA

The El Niño phenomenon will only have a slight impact on agricultural production in the country, a National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) official said on Monday.

“May epekto siya, hindi man puwede mawawala 'yung epekto niyan. Pero hindi siya katindi na makakaapekto sa ating production,” NEDA Assistant Secretary Mercedita Sombilla said in a forum.

Sombilla said some farmers in Nueva Ecija told her that they are still harvesting enough crops amid the El Niño effects.

After the early warning of PAGASA, she said the Department of Agriculture (DA) prepared ahead for the possibility of drought.

“Nagsasabi na sila (DA) sa mga farmers na pagdating ng ganito huwag muna kayong magtanim o bibigyan nila ng pananim na drought resistant para ang income nila hindi maapektuhan, para makakapag-ani nang makakapag-ani,” Sombilla said.

“Ang DA nakahanda sa kanyang interventions,” she also said.

Sombilla said farmers can manage to produce crops despite the effects of El Niño by delaying their period of harvest until the rainy season comes.

“Kung saka-sakali na may mga farmers na nakaranas talaga  ng drought, ide-delay lang nila 'yung planting. So ‘pag nag-harvest sila hindi sila magpa-plant agad hanggang sa pagdating ng rainy season,” she said.

However in Occidental Mindoro, an official from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist said the damage to agriculture in the province has already reached P160 million due to the drought.

Meanwhile, Sombilla commended PAGASA for its early warning of the possible effects of El Niño which resulted to the early preparation of different government agencies and sectors.

“Sinabi na nga nila 'yan na dapat maging vigilant tayo,” Sombilla said. —KG, GMA News