By CESAR JOLITO III
The sugar industry in Negros Occidental is calling for the immediate implementation of cloud seeding operations as dry conditions linked to the onset of the El Niño phenomenon continue to threaten sugarcane production across key growing areas.
The United Sugar Producers’ Federation of the Philippines (Unifed) has formally appealed to the Department of Agriculture, the Sugar Regulatory Administration, and the provincial government to act swiftly to address worsening water shortages.
In separate letters addressed to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Sugar Regulatory Administration chief Pablo Luis Azcona, and Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Unifed President Manuel Lamata warned that the prolonged lack of rainfall is already affecting crop development and reducing yield potential.
Lamata stressed that continued dry conditions pose serious risks not only to sugarcane output but also to the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of farmers and workers dependent on the industry.
“The lack of sufficient rainfall is adversely affecting crop growth, reducing yield potential, and increasing the risk of substantial economic losses,” Lamata said in his appeal, adding that immediate intervention is necessary to mitigate further damage.
Lamata emphasized that cloud seeding operations are urgently needed to help ease water scarcity, support irrigation demands, and cushion the impact of drought conditions on plantations.
“Immediate cloud seeding intervention is crucial to help alleviate water scarcity, support irrigation needs, and mitigate the negative impact of drought on sugarcane production,” he said, noting that early action would help preserve current crops and stabilize industry output in the coming months.
The appeal comes as agricultural stakeholders closely monitor weather patterns amid El Niño conditions, which are historically associated with reduced rainfall and increased drought risk in several parts of the country, including major sugar-producing provinces./CJ, WDJ