KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) South Cotabato is encouraging local farmers to break away from single-crop dependence on rice and pivot toward drought-resistant crops to withstand the prolonged dry spell projected to affect the province.
While random rains brought temporary relief, weather forecast indicates that dry conditions are expected to last until December, increasing risk of agricultural drought affecting farmers and fisherfolks across South Cotabato.
According to Rommel Eladia, Supervising Agriculturist, over-relying solely on water-reliant crops like traditional rice left farmers severely vulnerable during reduced rainfall conditions.
“Ang advice ko lang sa ating mga local farmers ay huwag mag rely on sa iisang crop lang. Kung maaari ay mag shift sila sa ibang pananim o magtanim ng cucurbits kagaya ng kalabasa o pakwan,” Eladia emphasized.
The office is also continuously strengthening farm associations across different municipalities to ensure agricultural interventions benefit a broader group of farmers rather than just individuals.
“Ang ating long-term na ginagawa ay mas pinalalakas natin ang mga associations at cooperatives to engage in high-value crops production. At sa short-term intervention naman ay nagbibigay tayo ng libreng vegetable seeds at foliar fertilizers sa ating mga farmers, kasali narin sa intervention ang ating mga organic farm practitioner,” Eladia added.
Meanwhile, Elias O. Diamante, Jr., Agriculturist I and IPM/DRRM Focal Person, shared that they are actively rolling out immediate agricultural relief programs as well as information dissemination to assist farmers during transitional weather periods.
“As of today, ongoing po ang kampanya natin sa mga local farmers at associations para alam nila ano ang gagawin once tumama na ang El Niño sa probinsya. Sa mga barangay at munisipyo naman na naapektuhan, mag submit lamang ng damage report para mabigyan ng naaangkop na tulong at serbisyo,” Diamante said.
Efforts against El Niño are closely coordinated with Department of Agriculture (DA) XII and the Office of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (OPDRRMO) to ensure fast-tracked implementation ahead of the anticipated dry cycle.
