The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has plans to shift the agricultural sector’s cropping calendar as a long-term solution to the devastating impact of typhoons to the country’s low-lying ricefields and harvest season.
(Keith Bacongco/MB file photo)
NIA Administrator Engr. Eduardo Guillen said this as he lamented the 350,000 metric tons of rice that were damaged by Typhoon “Kristine” recently. This equated to around P6 billion of loss in rice and P300 million worth of damages for agricultural infrastructure.
Such losses, which he said were impacts of climate change, fueled President Marcos to direct the NIA to put in place long-term solutions that will address future impacts of typhoons on farmlands.
“Mayroon po tayong move ngayon, para pangmatagalang solusyon na ito, nililipat na po natin iyong ating cropping calendar ng dalawang—gusto natin, mag-dalawang dry cropping tayo eh (We have a move now, for a long-term solution, we will shift our cropping calendar to two—we want two dry cropping),” he explained during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
The dry cropping calendar would be set from October to July, wherein February and July would be the harvest season.
“Kapag na-secure po natin iyong dalawang ani natin ng dalawang dry cropping season, okay na po tayo eh (Once we secure those two harvests during the two dry cropping season, we will be okay),” Guillen said.
“At saka kapag sa dry season kasi tayo magtanim, mas mataas ang yield. So, inaasahan po natin na itong move na ito ay makakapagpataas ng ating production (And when we plant in the dry season, the yield is higher. So, we are expecting this move to increase the production),” the official added.
Marcos’ instructions came amid fears that the country will experience a shortage in rice because of the damages caused by the typhoons.
But the NIA administrator was quick to dispel such concerns and said the Department of Agriculture (DA) is “on top of the situation” in terms of how much rice to import in the coming months.
“Hindi naman po. Iyong pag-uusap namin ni Sec. Kiko, kahapon, ay okay naman po tayo. So, iyong supply ay tinitingnan naman po ng Department of Agriculture iyan para po mapunan, iyong hindi tayo magkulang ng bigas (Not really. When Sec. Kiko [DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and I talked yesterday, we are okay. So, the Department of Agriculture is looking at the supply to augment and make sure we won’t be lacking),” Guillen furthered.
In the past, the official shared that the cropping season was set from June to March, which meant the two harvest seasons fall every November and March or April.