DA reconvenes El Niño task force as dry spell threatens rice supply

National

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) warned that a possible severe El Niño may reduce the country’s rice production by up to 700,000 metric tons.

As concerns over food supply and the welfare of Filipino farmers, the agency ordered the reconvening of its El Niño task force to prepare for the dry spell.

In a report by Inquirer.net, DA Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said immediate interventions are necesary to cushion the impact of El Niño, particularly on farmers, fisherfolk, and food prices.

“It is imperative that we put in place interventions that mitigate the impact of El Niño on agriculture, the livelihoods of farmers, fisherfolk, and others in the value chain, as well as its adverse effects on food supply, prices, and consumers,” Tiu said in a statement.

Among the measures being implemented by the DA are cloud seeding operations, the installation of solar-powered irrigation systems, adjustments in planting schedules, and crop diversification programs.

The state weather bureau earlier reported a 92-percent chance that a moderate to strong El Niño could develop in the last quarter of 2026 and continue into early 2027.

The warning comes as the country continues recovering from the 2023 to 2024 El Niño, which caused an estimated P57.78 billion in agricultural losses nationwide.

Data from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) showed that prolonged drought conditions affected thousands of farmers and hectares of farmland across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.(Erica Casquejo, CNU Main Campus Comm Intern)