BACOLOD CITY: With rice lands fast drying up in southern Negros Occidental because of the dry spell caused by the El Niño phenomenon, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is conducting a three-day survey for possible cloud seeding, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday.

Lacson said two engineers from the agency's Bureau of Soil and Water Management are in the province to assess the condition and submit a recommendation to him.

"Their initial report said the potential clouds for seeding are only present in northern Negros like Don Salvador Benedicto, Calatrava, Escalante City, San Carlos City and Cadiz City," Lacson said.

"Unfortunately in the southern part of Negros Island, which is the hardest hit by the drought, there are clear skies."

Cloud seeding is a technique that improves the cloud's ability to produce rain.

"The engineers are still going around the province and hopefully next week they will have a recommendation," he said.

"However, if they decide that it is viable to conduct cloud seeding, it will take another month before procurement of needed materials can start."

He said the areas that are dependent on rain for irrigation are the hardest hit by the drought.

"They have been forewarned that they may not have a good crop. But many of them took a chance," he said.

The governor said that the rice crops in areas covered by the Bago River Irrigation System have not been affected by the dry spell.

"I have been saying that they should maximize the irrigation by clearing the canals," he added.

Damage at P77.7 million

The estimated damage caused by the drought has reached P77,702,833.81 as of March 1, a report by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist showed.

Of the total damage, rice lands remained the hardest hit with a damage of P77,544,9882.01 followed by corn at P157,852.80.

The drought has affected 76 barangay, 1,955 farmers and 1,669.71 hectares of farm lands in the province, the report said.

The report also showed that the number of affected local governments also rose to 11 from eight last week.

Kabankalan City continues to be the hardest-hit with damage pegged at P41,726,761.20 with 13 villages, 1,214 farmers and 978.98 hectares of land affected.

Cauayan followed with P14,001.540 worth of damage in 17 barangay, 197 farmers and 176.66 hectares of land.

Ilog town reported damage of P7,487,370.24 in four villages and affected 110 farmers and 110.68 hectares of land.

Himamaylan City (P3,732,556.92), Valladolid (P3,397,598.72), Hinoba-an (P2,525,595.60), Hinigaran (P1,751,055.20), Sipalay City (P1,623,445.63), Binalbagan (P513,360), Moises Padilla (P450,897.50) and Isabela (P334,800) also suffered losses in agricultural income.

Damage to corn in Sipalay City was pegged at P157,852.80.

State of calamity

Ricky Muscosa, acting city agriculturist of Kabankalan City, on Tuesday said they are validating the data and assessing the conditions if the city can declare a state of calamity.

Under NDRRMC Memorandum Order 60 and Republic Act 10121, the declaration of a state of calamity is based on its impact on the population, livelihoods, infrastructure and the environment.

Muscosa said their initial data showed that there are 975 hectares of rice lands, 1,200 farmers in 17 barangay affected by the drought in Kabankalan City.

Muscosa said only Barangay Magballo and parts of Barangay Camingawan has an irrigation system that can support the rice fields.

As part of the city government's Gugma Caravan, the City Agriculture Office distributed free vegetable seedlings as alternative crops for rice farmers in the different barangay, he said.

Kabankalan City has more than 5,000 hectares of agricultural land.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration office in Visayas reported that Negros Occidental has been officially categorized as having been affected by drought, the only province in the region that has been so far placed in that category.

The province has experienced below normal rainfall in the past three months, the weather bureau said.