Based on a recent report by the Negros Occidental Provincial Agriculturist Office, over P94 million in rice crop losses were reported across the province. The report, which accounts for the period from January to May 27, points to drought conditions among the factors contributing to the losses.
Himamaylan City registered the most in losses, registering just over P12 million in damages and production losses. The downturn affected 75 farmers across approximately 288 hectares of land in 16 city barangays.
Meanwhile, Calatrava reported around P10.7 million in losses, followed by Don Salvador Benedicto with nearly P9.8 million in losses.
Corn also accounted for over P10 million in losses.
Calatrava comprised most of the losses, reporting around P7.8 million.
Last month, Negros Occidental provincial agriculturist, Atty. Japhet Masculino, confirmed there were 23 localities in the province experiencing a “dry spell” due to ongoing El Niño conditions, which AccuWeather describes as a climate pattern that raises sea temperatures in the Pacific Ocean and results in drought conditions due to reduced rainfall.
Based on an earlier report by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, local rice and corn crops had experienced around P109 million in damages. In addition, P300 million worth of damage was also recorded for the province’s sugarcane crops./WDJ