The Department of Agriculture, through the Bureau of Water and Soil Management, will conduct cloud seeding in the first week of October to augment water sources for farmers in Iloilo, an agriculture official said Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Iloilo Acting Provincial Agriculturist Geron Magbanua said spotters have been trained to identify and report seedable clouds to the operation center.

“It targets bodies of water like reservoirs, lakes and dams that could store water. The purpose is to make available water for farmers who are still in the second cropping,” he said.

Magbanua said the cloud-seeding operation will be conducted while rains are still occurring because seedable clouds could become less available as weather conditions change.

The provincial government has also prepared measures to assist farmers and other sectors affected by drought.

It annually allocates P10 million under its climate resiliency program to cover crop insurance premiums for farmers who are not registered with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture. The funds have been transferred to the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp.

The province has also prepared 40 solar-powered pumps for municipalities seeking additional water sources. More than 100 units were distributed to local governments last year.

The pumps are provided to barangays or municipalities with 10 to 15 hectares of irrigable land and an available water source.

“We plan to sustain this; every year we will allocate funds,” Magbanua said.

The DA has prepared buffer stocks, including corn, for the province and plans to provide alternative crops with fertilizer assistance.

For livestock raisers, the Provincial Agriculture Office’s livestock division has been conducting training on preparing alternative animal feed.

Magbanua said the province is also exploring alternative livelihood programs, such as poultry raising and vegetable gardening, for those in the fisheries sector who have limited access to drought-related assistance.

Fisherfolk are also being considered for the government’s free rice program, funded through the local government support fund. The province is preparing as well for possible fish kills and red tide incidents.

Reports on the drought’s impact are still being consolidated, Magbanua said. The province is awaiting documentation from Dueñas, which declared a state of calamity last week.

Lambunao is also expected to declare a state of calamity next week.

The drought’s effects have been felt mostly in Iloilo’s fourth and fifth congressional districts, Magbanua said.PNA