Philippine Agriculture Department Backs State of Calamity Declaration as El Niño Losses Hit P8.57 Billion
Key Takeaways
- •The Philippine Department of Agriculture supports declaring a state of calamity, a move officials say would expedite emergency funding, including standby loan facilities that some development banks release only after such declarations.
- •Estimated agricultural losses from El Niño have reached P8.57 billion across 220,307 metric tons, with rice accounting for P2.95 billion and corn for P5 billion.
- •Under the DA's worst-case scenario, dry spells could affect 4.6 million farmers and fisherfolk and cut palay output by 1 million metric tons, far beyond the 71,408 metric tons of rice losses recorded so far.
- •The DA has provided P11.34 billion worth of assistance to farmers, including P10.81 billion directed toward seeds, fertilizer, and soil conditioners.
- •Mitigation measures have included cloud seeding operations and the distribution of 338 water pumps across Regions II, III, IV-A, V, VI, and IX.
The Philippines' Department of Agriculture (DA) has thrown its support behind Senator Francis N. Pangilinan's call to declare a state of calamity, as estimated agricultural losses from El Niño climb to P8.57 billion. El Niño episodes typically bring below-normal rainfall to the Philippines, and prolonged dry spells take a direct toll on crops such as rice and corn.
Under the agency's "worst-case" scenario, dry spells could affect 4.6 million farmers and fisherfolk and cut palay (unmilled rice) output by 1 million metric tons.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said a calamity declaration would expedite the release of funds needed to deal with emergencies.
"I do agree it's good that we declare state of calamity because from all indications it's a Super El Niño," Mr. Laurel said.
Christopher V. Morales, Undersecretary for the rice industry, cited the positive impact of such a declaration on contingency planning and the rollout of mitigation measures.
"This will allow us to anticipate risks, minimize potential damage, and respond swiftly to areas threatened by the impacts of Super El Niño," Mr. Morales said.
For his part, Mr. Pangilinan said the declaration can ensure the prompt release of resources and institutional support, noting that some standby loan facilities from development banks are also waiting on calamity declarations before they can be released — a detail that makes the declaration itself a trigger for emergency financing. The senator has called for relief for food producers facing prolonged dry conditions.
In a DA bulletin released Oct. 21, agricultural losses were estimated at P8.57 billion, with lost volume amounting to 220,307 metric tons (MT). Losses to the rice crop were pegged at 71,408 MT, valued at P2.95 billion, while corn crop losses came in at 132,290 MT, valued at P5 billion. Palay is milled into rice, the country's staple grain, and the recorded rice loss remains far below the projected 1-million-MT worst-case cut in output — a gap that underscores the stakes if dry conditions persist.
To help address El Niño's effects, the DA said it has provided P11.34 billion worth of assistance to farmers, with10.81 billion going into seed, fertilizer, and soil conditioners. Cloud seeding operations were also conducted, and 338 water pumps were distributed to Regions II, III, IV-A, V, VI, and IX. The bulletin's running loss tallies, alongside the pace of the agency's response spending, offer a running measure of how the episode is developing for Philippine agriculture.
Reporting by Maria Mikaela H. Mormon; source: BusinessWorld
