THE province of Iloilo, the hardest-hit by the El Niño phenomenon in the region, is preparing for the planned cloud seeding operations set for next week.

The Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office (Pagro) convened an emergency meeting on May 23 with the municipal agricultural office and the Bureau of Soils and Water Management to collect data on crops that could be vulnerable to the heavy rainfall expected from the cloud seeding.

Pagro head Ildefonso Toledo said that crops that may be affected if the rains caused by the cloud seeding persist include high-value crops like watermelon that are susceptible to damage from excessive water if the rains persist.

He further reminded farmers to consider their planting patterns to reduce the risk of losing their crops.

"If it's no longer appropriate to farm, and given the state weather bureau's forecast, they should avoid planting since it's a risk," he advised.

He pointed out that the agricultural damage recorded by the province were mostly from farmers who planted during the third cropping season from October to November.

Based on the latest data from the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the production loss in Western Visayas has increased to P1.5 billion, affecting a total of 37,223 farmers and fisherfolk.

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