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rmc el ninoRegional government offices under the umbrella of the Department of Agriculture in Region 7 recently reiterated agreed measures to mitigate the impact of El Niño should the phenomenon hit Central Visayas.

Among the agreements of the committee chaired by DA – 7 Director Angel Enriquez are synchronized planting for efficient water use in areas served by irrigation, campaign for farmers to get insurance cover for crops and farm animals, promotion of early maturing and drought resistant varieties and continued advocacy on El Nino preparedness.

Some drought tolerant rice varieties are NSIC Rc 222, NSIC Rc 192, NSIC Rc 282, NSIC Rc 288, PSB Rc 68 and NSIC Rc 9.

Also recommended is the planting of animal forage legumes such as ipil-ipil, rensonii, flemengia, stylo, and indigofera.

Farmers are also encouraged not to burn their rice straws and corn husks but to turn them into silage for animal feed, and to convert other farm wastes and byproducts into compost.

Also planned to further strengthen information dissemination efforts on El Nińo preparedness is the conduct of an information caravan in vulnerable areas in the region.

Member agencies of the council include the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), National Food Authority (NFA), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), National Dairy Authority (NDA), and Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), among others. (rafis/mspt)

 

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