Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has directed DA agencies to continuously revise their El Niño response plans as fresher weather, crop, water, and market data come in, seeking to minimize the drought’s impact on food security, supply, and prices.
“The lessons we learned from the powerful El Niño episode that ended in mid-2024 should help us respond better to the climate challenge we now face,” Tiu Laurel said in a statement Aug. 30, adding the DA is working on both immediate assistance to local producers and preemptive measures to secure food supplies before weather disruptions translate into shortages and higher prices.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas earlier warned that El Niño could fuel inflation, with drought threatening domestic production even as global rice output and trade policies add uncertainty to food supplies.
The BSP already raised its key interest rate by 25 basis points Aug. 27, in a preemptive move against stubborn inflation, and did not rule out further monetary action if price pressures persist.
For the DA, preparation means distributing assistance, as well as strengthening irrigation, adjusting planting schedules, securing inputs, monitoring inventories, and preparing import and market interventions where necessary.
Tiu Laurel said the strategy involves shifting production to less affected regions, expanding cloud seeding and solar-powered irrigation, and maximizing water efficiency.
It also encompasses distributing drought-tolerant seed varieties, providing crop insurance indemnification, and extending emergency financial support to vulnerable farmers.
“We have to produce more where the impact of El Niño will be less severe, increase the water available to farmers, and use every drop wisely through practices such as alternate wetting and drying and planting crops that require less water,” he said.
The DA has also intensified its campaign against counterfeit, unregistered, adulterated, and illegally manufactured farm inputs.
Tiu Laurel already ordered tougher market surveillance and enforcement by the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), highlighting the government’s effort to keep questionable farm inputs out of the market, protect farmers from potentially costly losses, and ensure that legitimate manufacturers and dealers are not undercut by operators who bypass regulatory requirements.
“Fertilizer is an investment for our farmers. When fake or substandard products are sold to them, it is not just their money that is lost. Their harvest and livelihood are at stake,” he stressed.
He told the FPA to widen its market watch, including online marketplaces and physical stores, while pursuing those allegedly involved in producing or distributing illegal agricultural inputs.
“We will protect our farmers and legitimate businesses. We are directing the FPA to intensify market surveillance and enforcement against counterfeit, unregistered, adulterated, and illegally manufactured agricultural inputs,” he added. ||
