The Department of Agriculture in the Caraga Region (DA-13) is moving early to mitigate the potential impact of El Niño by identifying vulnerable rice and corn clusters across the region.

Gerlie Antipaso, DA-13 disaster risk reduction focal person, said Monday that the agency is currently consolidating data on rainfed municipalities to determine which barangays face the highest risk.

“Around 57 percent of our rice farms are in rainfed areas in the different provinces in the region,” Antipaso said in an interview, noting that fields at the tail end of irrigation systems are equally susceptible.

As of April 15, the agency has identified 17,228 hectares of rainfed rice farms and 1,897 hectares in upland areas, alongside 1,109 hectares of corn production located in rainfed zones and near riverbanks.

To prepare for the dry spell, DA-13 is procuring high-quality seeds to boost buffer stocks, with 1,720 bags of certified rice seeds and 1,950 bags of hybrid seeds currently available for distribution.

Antipaso added that procurement remains ongoing to ensure sufficient reserves, while bidding for additional corn seeds has already been completed to support affected growers.

The agency is also coordinating with its engineering division to utilize existing impounding projects for water harvesting systems, which can still be replenished by localized thunderstorms.

“Butuan City and nearby towns experienced heavy rains on Sunday evening and Monday noon due to localized thunderstorms,” Antipaso said, stressing that harvesting this water is crucial as the drought continues. (PNA)