By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said yesterday that sugarcane is the hardest-hit crop due to the intense heat caused by the El Niño phenomenon in central and southern Negros Occidental.

SRA chief agriculturist Ma. Lourdes Almodiente said they are consolidating reports on damage to sugarcane fields in the province due to the ongoing dry spell.

Almodiente said they expect data to be released next week, once they have received the reports from their mill district offices.

The report will also cover crop damage in the Visayas.

Almodiente said they had been informing sugar farmers about the effects of El Niño on crops, while citing weather projections from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

The SRA will also hand over irrigation facilities for rapid propagation and to save sugarcane plantations, as well as fertilizers to farmer-beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, Almodiente said the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Soils and Water Management are in talks over the proposal to conduct cloud-seeding operations in Negros Occidental.

Based on their initial information, Almodiente said Negros Island is the hardest-hit by crop damage, while some parts of the Visayas, such as Cebu, Leyte, and Panay are still experiencing rains.

Earlier, the Negros Occidental Office of the Provincial Agriculturist revealed that the effects of El Niño in the province have worsened, with agricultural damage pegged at more than P77.7 million.

Data released by the provincial government revealed around 1,646 hectares of farmland across 11 local government units have been damaged.

A total of 1,963 farmers have been affected.

Kabankalan City has the highest damage on record at P41,726,761, followed by Cauayan town at P14,001,540./DGB, WDJ