By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

According to the latest monitoring by the Negros Occidental Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, a total of 237.52 hectares of farmland in the province are affected by the ongoing dry spell.

Negros Occidental provincial agriculturist, Atty. Japhet Masculino, said from January to February of this year, they have recorded a total of P8.32 million in damages to agricultural products.

He said the Ilog municipal government earlier submitted their latest crop damage report, which showed a total agricultural loss of P2.21 million with 94.57 hectares affected.

In addition, Cauayan earlier reported a total of P6,110,780 worth of crop damage.

It was previously reported, Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol advised the province to prepare for El Niño, which he said is expected to wane towards the end of April or May in other parts of the country, but the forecast is not good for Negros.

“The dry spell in Negros Occidental, Mindoro, and Palawan will linger until late November,” he said.

A statement earlier released by the Department of Agriculture-Western Visayas also claimed weak El Niño conditions are expected throughout the rest of March.

“We are experiencing weak El Niño, particularly in southern Iloilo and Antique,” stated field operations division chief Rene B. Famoso.

However, he noted, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) offered an extended forecast.

“Based on the recent forecast of PAGASA, it may last up to June,” Famoso added./DGB, WDJ