Amid El Nino, the Department of Agriculture 6 (DA-6) has allocated P2.5 million budget for cloud seeding operations to induce rains over drought-affected areas in the region.

DA Regional Director Larry Nacionales said several towns in Iloilo have already requested their office for cloud seeding operations.

Nacionales said they are now coordinating with the Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM) to start the activity.

He added they will also provide cloud-seeding services to farming communities in provinces like Capiz, Iloilo and Negros Occidental that are experiencing drought.

He said there are 20,000 hectares of ricelands in the region that need rain to survive.

“We still have ‘singit’ crops. Once harvested, two tons of rice could still be added to our rice production,” he said.

He said, as of October, Western Visayas has a rice sufficiency of 2.23 million metric tons and he hopes that the region will meet its highest production target of 2.29 million metric tons of rice before the year ends.

Despite the drought, Nacionales said the region will maintain its rice production target because 2013 is considered as the Year of Rice. 

The region focuses on its food staple sufficiency program so that the country need not import rice next year, he added.

Nacionales said the DA’s regional field units will also provide other crop varieties that are drought-tolerant varieties, like kamote, corn and watermelon that do not need a big volume of water.

Nacionales said they are willing to provide technical and financial assistance to the farmers.*