ILOILO CITY – Farmers in Western Visayas have been urged to plant early in preparation for this year’s El Niño weather phenomenon.
"Right now, we are encouraging our local government units (LGUs) to help us inform and guide the farmers in the early planting activities,” said Engr. Jose Albert A. Barrogo, director of the Department of Agriculture (DA)-6.
“This is one way to cope with our target production in the first cropping as we anticipate El Niño," Barrogo added.
The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), an attached agency of DA, is distributing 430,196 bags of certified seeds to farmers in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental this month.
So far, Iloilo and Negros Occidental have the highest target allocation for the certified rice seeds. The PhilRice is set to distribute 166,351 bags and 101,216 bags for farmers in Iloilo and Negros Occidental, respectively.
The PhilRice program under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) wants farmers not to wait until June or July, which is the usual planting period that may be negatively impacted by the fARMEimpending El Niño.