The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday said it has further intensified efforts to prepare and protect farmers and consumers from a potentially strong El Niño event, which could shrink harvests and disrupt the food supply.
In a statement, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said post-harvest losses can be minimized through strategies like shifting to less water-dependent crops such as munggo (mung beans) in drought-prone areas, using solar-powered irrigation, adopting low-cost greenhouses, and implementing earlier planting schedules.
“What we learned during the 2024 El Niño will guide how we prepare and intervene this time around,” he said.
A severe El Niño can pose a 20 percent to 30 percent decline in production based on recent studies, the agency noted.
With this factored in, the DA has reactivated the El Niño Task Force to ensure timely response and interagency coordination.
It has also strengthened its irrigation system assessments, climate risk mapping, localized planning, and the prepositioning of drought-tolerant seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation support.
The DA is now delivering high-quality and climate-resilient seeds to farmers under the National Rice Program (NRP) and the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), fertilizer assistance, farm mechanization, irrigation support, water saving technologies, credit assistance, and intensified extension and farmer training services.
Existing assistance, such as crop insurance, credit access, and market facilitation, is also being reinforced.
As part of the preparations, the DA has earlier secured 1.5 million metric tons of imported rice from Vietnam at a competitive price level to ensure food security.
However, Tiu Laurel emphasized that actual import volumes will depend on both market prices and domestic production.
“Just like last year, when President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. imposed an import ban from September to December to support palay prices, we will continue to balance food security with the interests of our farmers, ensuring they earn a fair return for their hard work,” he said. (PNA)
