Bohol farms reel from El Niño, suffer P173.7M in losses

TAGBILARAN CITY, BOHOL, Philippines — Prolonged dry conditions linked to El Niño have caused an estimated P173.69 million in agricultural losses in Bohol, affecting 6,676 farmers in 24 of the province’s 48 municipalities and city, according to a partial assessment by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA).

To help drought-hit farms and protect the province’s rice production, the provincial government is preparing for a cloud-seeding operation expected to begin tomorrow.

Larry Pamugas, assistant provincial agriculturist, said the OPA’s partial assessment put total agricultural damage at P173,669,516.08.

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Rice accounted for 95.03 percent of the reported losses, followed by high-value crops at 3.03 percent and corn at 1.94 percent. No damage to cassava had been reported.

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READ: El Niño places 106 areas under state of calamity, affects over 300,000

San Miguel recorded the highest losses at P53.2 million, followed by Sagbayan with P19.3 million, Batuan with P16.1 million, Inabanga with P12.5 million and Bilar with P10.9 million.

Other affected areas were Tubigon, P9 million; Catigbian, P8 million; Buenavista, P7.9 million; Calape, P6.9 million; and Getafe, P3.5 million.

READ: Drought forecast to hit more areas until March 2027 – Pagasa

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The OPA said the damage estimate could still rise as assessments continue in local government units that have yet to submit their reports.

Harvest at risk

Bohol could face a sharp drop in rice production after dry conditions hit during the critical July to August period, when rice plants were developing, said Maricel Barloso, OPA agricultural technologist and rice program focal person.

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Only about 55 percent of Bohol’s potential rice-growing area was planted during the past wet cropping season, Barloso said at a press briefing.

Of the province’s estimated 53,800 hectares (ha) of plantable rice land, only about 30,000 ha were planted. A significant portion of those crops was later damaged by extreme heat and lack of water.

Barloso said the OPA could not yet determine whether even half of the planted area would eventually yield a harvest.

Some farmers were unable to plant in May despite the release of water from dams. Those in areas with inadequate water supplies opted not to plant, while farmers who planted late saw their crops affected by the heat.

About 2,600 ha had already been harvested, while more than half of the planted area was still being harvested, Barloso said.

The OPA has urged farmers to prepare seeds, particularly upland rice varieties that are more tolerant of heat and require less water, as intermittent rains begin.

Cooperation

The cloud-seeding operation is a result of coordination among the provincial government, the Bureau of Soils and Water Management and the Philippine Air Force.

The OPA is also consolidating damage reports from local government units and coordinating with government agencies for possible assistance to affected farmers, including irrigation support and the promotion of drought-tolerant crops.

Authorities are meanwhile bracing for the continuing effects of El Niño, which refers to warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. All provinces in the country are expected to experience drought by March 2027 as the phenomenon intensifies.

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Drought is generally characterized by several consecutive months of unusually low rainfall. It occurs when rainfall falls more than 60 percent below normal for three consecutive months, or 21 to 60 percent below normal for five consecutive months. /cb