The Department of Agriculture in Calabarzon (DA-4A) is implementing various interventions to mitigate the effects of El Niño on farmers in the region and ensure that they can produce food through the lean months.

In an interview on Monday, Engr. Redelliza Gruezo, DA-4A’s Officer-in-Charge of the Field Operations Division, said her office is providing maintenance works on key irrigation facilities to ensure that scarce water manages to reach crops despite the dry spell.

Other efforts being undertaken by the agency to ensure steady food production during the drought include desiltation of canals, rotational water distribution, and implementation of Alternative Wetting and Drying Technology (AWD) and Quick Turn Around (QTA) Strategy.

“Farmers may need higher cost irrigation or maintenance methods to maintain their crops… There are various programs and policies that the government is implementing to aid and support farmers in Calabarzon, especially in agriculture,” said Gruezo.

In this province, DA-4A has just distributed PHP5.5 million worth of agricultural intervention to farmers in the towns of San Pascual and Mabini as the warm and dry season officially started this month.

The agency has also distributed tractors, vegetable and corn seeds, and fertilizers to help farmers in the two towns increase production.

Additionally, DA-4A is encouraging farmers to cultivate crops that are more resilient to droughts and has been distributing seeds that do not need much water to grow, she said.

The DA official noted that her office has already conducted meetings with regional line agencies and local government units (LGUs) to harmonize the efforts of all concerned government entities engaged in mitigating El Niño’s impact on food production.

Apart from that, DA-4A is also engaging farmers’ groups and is providing them with technical know-how on how they can stay viable despite the dry spell, Gruezo noted.

Quoting the LGU Damage Report as of March 12, she said the region has recorded PHP 50 million in losses, or the equivalent of 2,033.17 metric tons in rice and corn production.

“Calabarzon is the leader when it comes to pork and chicken meat, chicken eggs, rice, yellow corn, and lowland vegetables. These are the ones that the department will continue to strengthen to maintain production and meet consumer demand,” Gruezo said. (PNA)