NextGen Day

TACLOBAN CITY — The regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Eastern Visayas is intensifying its call to rice farmers in the region to adopt climate-resilient practices as a solution to counter the drop in rice output caused by changing weather patterns.

Amid the challenges posed by climate change, the DA is emphasizing the importance of implementing adaptive strategies in rice farming. One key recommendation is for Eastern Visayas farmers to opt for early maturing, high-yielding, and stress-tolerant rice seed varieties. This proactive approach is crucial as the region can experience excessive rainfall that might disrupt pollination. At the same time, the threat of typhoons can lead to lodging or the toppling over of rice plants.

The DA stated on Friday, urging farmers to collaborate closely with agricultural extension workers to receive fertilizer application recommendations. This cooperative effort aims to prevent the excessive use of fertilizers, which can have negative environmental consequences.

The department also encouraged farmers to secure an indemnity crop insurance claim from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation before planting. Furthermore, they should leverage postharvest machinery to minimize wastage.

Highlighting the urgency of these measures, the DA pointed out that the region is particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, which continue to hinder agricultural output and productivity.

Given its geographical location, Eastern Visayas is prone to recurrent natural hazards, earning its reputation as one of the most disaster-prone areas in the Philippines. Over the span of four years, from 2017 to 2021, the region endured the impact of eight typhoons, resulting in an estimated PHP1.50 billion worth of damage to agricultural products.

Beyond typhoons, Eastern Visayas faces a spectrum of climate-related risks, including droughts, landslides, soil degradation, water shortages in certain areas, and an uptick in pest and disease occurrences.

The agricultural landscape of Eastern Visayas predominantly revolves around farming, occupying 1.17 million hectares of land area, which accounts for 54.55 percent of the total land coverage. A substantial portion of this land, approximately 19 percent or 219,936 hectares, is designated for cultivating annual crops like rice.

Regarding rice production, Eastern Visayas reported a harvest of 840,345 metric tons (mt) of unhusked rice (palay) in 2022. This marked a decline compared to the 864,373 mt yield recorded in 2021. As the region navigates the challenges posed by climate change, the DA’s renewed call for climate-resilient rice farming practices aims to safeguard agricultural productivity and food security for the future.

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