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Farmer Fernando Santos laments the damaged crops in his dry rice fields in San Miguel, Bulacan, on February 26, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File
BULACAN — Some 993 rice farmers from 25 barangays in San Miguel, Bulacan have lost their potential harvest due to El Niño, according to the town's agriculture office.
Close to 1,500 hectares of rice fields in San Miguel have dried up due to the prevailing effects of El Niño, based on data from local agriculture officials.
San Miguel is the largest rice-producing municipality in the province of Bulacan
Glenn Ortiz, the municipal agriculturist of San Miguel, said the water supply for irrigation has been used up already due to the effects of El Niño, despite projections that it will last until March.
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The farmers tried extracting water from deep wells but even these could not pump out enough water.
"Wala nang dumaloy kahit sa irrigated areas natin," Ortiz said.
Farmers are now lamenting that they were not able to harvest anything to feed their families.
"Wala pong makakain, wala pong aanihin eh, talagang medyo mabigat ang laban ng mga magsasaka ngayon," said Fernando Santos, a rice farmer.
"Malaki mawawala, ang natira lang ang utang, utang na ginamit sa puhunan para makapaglagay. Karamihan ng mga naglagay nito, nangutang lang ng puhunan muna," he added.
"Babawi sana kami para 'yung hiniram naming pera mapalitan namin, ganyan naman nangyari, kaya sorry na lang," said Ramir Odesa, another farmer.
Some farmers have availed of crop insurance, which pays P20,000 for every hectare of farm destroyed by natural calamities.
"Gumawa na kami ng validation assessment sa farmers na napektuhan para mapag-aralan anong programa pwedeng ibigay sa kanila na higit na mas mapapakinabangan," Ortiz said.
Task Force El Niño spokesperson Joey Villarama said affected lands will undergo assessment if drought-resistant varieties can be planted.
If not, farmers will be referred to the labor and social welfare departments for other interventions.
The latest bulletin showed that the cost of agricultural damage due to El Niño is now at P357 million, affecting four regions across the country.
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