The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) has stated that Visayas -one of the three principal geographical divisions of the nation- will experience a dry season in the first quarter of the year.
Therefore, the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) urged farmers to shift to high-value crops in preparation for the El Niño phenomenon. Instead of planting rice, Iloilo provincial agriculturist Ildefonso Toledo advised the farmers to grow “alternative crops” that will not demand too much water.
Although the province experiences light rains brought by the Low Pressure Area (LPA), Toledo said the amount of rainfall is still insufficient to support rice cropping. Bulb onions, garlic and sweet potato are some of the high-value crops the farmers should consider growing.
