Sufficient government preparations will cushion the impact of the El Niño phenomenon, especially on rice production, the head of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said.
On the part of the NIA, its administrator Eduardo Guillen said water reservoirs are able to store sufficient water for irrigation when normal to above-average rainfall occurs prior to an El Nino.
He said higher yields of palay (unhusked rice) and improved milling recovery from a higher-quality palay harvest are brought about by sunny weather.
However, Guillen said the El Niño phenomenon may have an adverse impact on water-deficient places near the end of irrigation or rain-fed areas.
“Malaki ang epekto ng produksyon ng El Niño noong 2002, 2004, at 2007. Gayunpaman, ang kaganapan ng 2019 El Niño ay bumaba sa output sa mga lugar na mababa ang produksyon (El Niño occurrences in 2002, 2004, and 2007 significantly impacted production. However, the 2019 El Niño event has decreased output in low-producing areas),” Guillen said in a televised interview.
Guillen added that the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) forecasts a moderate-to-strong El Niño by December this year.
“Ang industriya ng bigas ay hindi dapat nasa isang sakuna na sitwasyon dahil ito ay depende sa dami ng pag-ulan at tubig na nakaimbak sa mga dam at reservoir para sa tag-araw ng 2024 (The rice industry should not be in a catastrophic situation because it depends on the amount of rain and water stored in dams and reservoirs for the dry season of 2024),” he said.
Risk assessment
Guillen stressed that the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is conducting risk assessments to reduce the negative impact of the phenomenon.
He explained that the agency has been providing satellite-based information on rice area, production, and output to municipalities to assist them in modifying their cropping calendars and determining the type of assistance required in areas affected by the dry period.
These involve information gathered and examined by the Philippine Rice Information System (PRiSM) to help palay farmers choose the most efficient seed kinds to plant based on water availability.
Guillen claimed that PRiSM can also be used to determine the extent of remaining crops and the various crop phases across the country.
“Ang mga data na ito ay nagbibigay sa amin ng impormasyon kung paano baguhin ang iskedyul ng pagtatanim upang maiwasan ang mga bagyo na makapinsala sa mga pananim (These data give us knowledge on how to adapt the planting timetable to avoid typhoons harming crops),” he said.