ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Office of the City Agriculturist has prepared contingency plans for the El Niño phenomenon which is expected to come by the third quarter of this year.
SANCHEZ
City Agriculturist Carmencita Sanchez said the programs include the provision of credit policies and crop insurance.
Sanchez advised farmers to plant drought-resistant crops and vegetables such as mongo, string beans, peanuts, and okra.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has not yet raised an El Niño alert here.
PAGASA officer-in-charge Rodel Inclan, however, reported an 80 percent chance of the onset of El Niño in June.
Despite this, Sanchez remains optimistic that El Niño phenomenon won't come due to intermittent rains during the past days here.
She also said that water levels in several rivers in this city remain normal to above average.