The Department of Agriculture–Davao (DA-11) has laid out three mitigation strategies, including a standby request for cloud seeding, to prepare for the expected El Niño, even as moisture stress has already damaged almost PHP117 million worth of crops in the region from January to March.

DA-11 DRRM focal person Joedel Leliza said during a press briefing on Monday that the agency has three mitigation measures: preparatory activities, maximization of production in non-vulnerable areas, and saving production in vulnerable areas.

“We have a standby request for cloud seeding if moisture stress escalates in the next few months,” Leliza said.

Cloud seeding operations fall under the third strategy — saving production in vulnerable areas — along with water management, crop shifting, provision of drugs and biologics, feed supplements, and agricultural facilities and equipment.

Moisture stress, often linked to El Niño, is a major driver of agricultural drought and reduced yields. Leliza reported that from Jan. 26 to March, moisture stress damaged PHP76.1 million in rice, PHP26.1 million in corn, and PHP14.1 million in high-value crops, mostly in Davao del Sur and Davao City.

Moisture stress is when a plant does not get enough water to grow properly, when the soil becomes too dry, causing the plant to wilt, grow slowly, or become weak.

“The bulk of the damage is in Davao del Sur, particularly in Matanao and Bansalan towns. These are areas where water cannot reach the fields,” Leliza noted.

He added that in April, his office received reports of PHP783 million in additional damages — PHP16.2 million in rice, PHP46 million in corn, and PHP711.5 million in high-value crops.

“These April reports are still for validation. We asked the provinces to provide means of verification, such as photos and geotags,” Leliza said.

Leliza said the agency’s preparatory activities include weekly monitoring of field conditions, distribution of seasonal climate outlook advisories, validation of planting targets, production of information materials, regional coordination meetings, and buffer stocking of farm inputs.

DA-11 aims to save production in vulnerable areas through water management, crop shifting, provision of drugs and biologics, feed supplements, agricultural facilities and equipment, and cloud seeding operations, he added. (PNA)