• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Crop damage in Negros Occidental caused by moisture stress due to dry conditions has reached P41.98 million, data of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) as of Oct. 23 showed.
The damage affected more than 2,400 farmers across 69 barangays in 14 local government units.
Estimated damage to rice crops amounted to P38.26 million while corn losses reached P3.72 million.
The dry spell has affected 1,511.46 hectares of agricultural land and 2,403 farmers in the cities of Kabankalan, San Carlos, Escalante, Cadiz and Sagay as well as the municipalities of Toboso, Don Salvador Benedicto, Calatrava, Moises Padilla, Hinigaran, La Castellana, Isabela, Cauayan and Ilog.
Moisture stress occurs when crops do not receive sufficient rainfall to sustain normal growth, potentially reducing yields and causing production losses.
Department of Agriculture-Negros Island Region Executive Director Jose Albert Barrogo said recent rains had provided significant relief to affected agricultural areas, although a small percentage of crops had yet to recover from the dry spell, particularly in northern Negros Occidental.
Barrogo said he and Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson had requested additional funding from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management to resume cloudseeding operations.
Sugar Regulatory Administration Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona is also seeking funds for the initiative, he added.
The target is to resume cloudseeding by December, with approximately P30 million needed to sustain operations across Negros Island until April next year.
The funding request was made following an exit meeting with the Philippine Air Force, and officials are hoping to secure the amount through the 2026 budget.
Barrogo said that December would be a critical period for farmers, particularly those planting rice, as the crops would begin developing grains and require sufficient water.
High-value crops would also need adequate moisture during this period. | GPB
