SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – Farmers in this province have shifted to planting drought-resistant crops due to El Nino.
The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) has advised farmers to look into alternative crops that do not require much water and can thrive under the extreme heat to avoid agricultural loss.
OPAG officer-in-charge Sharon Viloria said farmers were encouraged to plant short-gestating crops such as vegetables that can be harvested in a short period of time.
Rice farmer Carlito Eslava of San Gabriel, La Union is now planting corn and mung beans as an alternative to rice to cushion the effects of El Nino.
“As we will harvest our second crop of rice in the last week of April, but we still plant short term crops such as corn and munggo in which these crops did not need much water and we can harvest before the start of the first cropping season of rice,” Eslava said.
Aside from insurance, OPAG has procured vegetable seeds and farming tools to be distributed this April as an additional assistance to farmers.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPVet) reminded livestock owners and poultry raisers to observe and take extra care of their animals against extreme heat.