Dry spell ruins P38-M crops in Maguindanao

CRACKED SOIL The parched rice fields in Barangay Datu Bakal, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao del Sur, show the severe impact of the ongoing dry spell on local agriculture. —PHOTO COURTESY OF MAFAR-BARMM

COTABATO CITY — The dry spell affecting Maguindanao del Sur for the past three months has damaged about P38.39 million worth of rice and corn plantations, the agriculture office in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said.

According to Abunawas Maslamama, minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (MAFAR-BARMM), the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has also affected about 800 rice and corn farmers in Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte.

ENSO is a recurring, irregular climate cycle occurring every two to seven years, involving fluctuations in Pacific Ocean temperatures and atmospheric circulation, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

As of April 24, data from MAFAR-BARMM showed a total of 851 hectares of rice and corn fields were affected across 36 municipalities and 167 barangays in the two provinces.

Maslamama said 537 hectares of rice fields and 314 hectares of corn fields were heavily damaged due to extreme heat. The dry spell has also resulted in the loss of about 1,500 metric tons of rice and corn.

Interventions

Of the 810 affected farmers, 306 are from Maguindanao del Norte and 504 from Maguindanao del Sur.

To cushion the impact of the dry spell, MAFAR has implemented several interventions, including close monitoring of crops nearing harvest and the distribution of vegetable seeds as alternative sources of income for affected farmers.

Farmers in both provinces are also being advised to plant drought-tolerant and early-maturing crops, especially in areas with sufficient irrigation, to maintain productivity and help prevent food supply shortages.