By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) in Negros Occidental is not considering cloud seeding operations in the province yet despite the hot and dry conditions.
OPA head, lawyer Japhet Masculino, said this is because the Department of Agriculture (DA) is still assessing the current situation of farmlands in Negros Occidental.
Masculino said the DA will inform them if there is a need for such operation, as they are currently collecting data from various city and municipal agriculture offices in the province as part of their own assessment.
Masculino said there is now a request before the DA for a possible cloud seeding operation and the agriculture office is also preparing the needed funds.
“There are some plants that don’t need rainwater, such as watermelons and mangoes which are currently in season, and it is one of the reasons why cloud seeding is still under consideration,” Masculino added.
The OPA head also pointed out some towns and cities in the province still continue to get water for crops through their irrigation systems./WDJ