TUGUEGARAO CITY: To get ready for the expected impact of the El Niño phenomenon this year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) office in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) is considering using cloud seeding to produce rain.

Dr. Roberto Busania, DA Region 2 technical director for operations and extension, said the DA Regional Field Office 2 (DA-RFO2) plans to conduct cloud seeding next month.

"In this activity, our target is to irrigate the corn and rice crops that are mostly planted by farmers," Busania said.

Region 2, considered one of the top producers of rice and corn in the country, includes the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and Batanes.

Busania said that their agency has allocated P5 million to P7 million in initial funds for the cloud seeding activities.

"We have cloud condition experts who will tell if cloud seeding can be done in our target areas," he said.

Busania said the DA-RFO2 is also continuously coordinating with the National Irrigation Administration, municipal agriculturists, and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration (Pagasa).

He said these agencies continue to guide farmers regarding weather conditions to alleviate the effects of the El Niño phenomenon. El Niño increases the likelihood of below-normal rainfall conditions which could lead to dry spells and drought to farmlands.

Meanwhile, Busania said he is hoping that a "zoning" planting scheme is implemented at the local government unit level in the region to avoid losses due to oversupply of produce which often results in wastage or dumping.

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