Misor to give seeds to farmers

THE Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) of Misamis Oriental is coming up with a recovery program for farmers whose crops would be damaged by the El Niño phenomenon.
Danny Maputol, provincial agriculture officer of PAO, said there are seeds now available at the province for disposition to farmers after the El Niño phenomenon.
“What we have really been preparing for is the post-El Niño intervention, so instead of giving seeds now, we might as well give it after the El Niño phenomenon,” Maputol said.

He added that some hand pumps and water pumps have already been readied, though in limited numbers only.
Maputol admitted there is now a sign of El Niño in the western part of Misamis Oriental as reported by agriculture officers of the municipalities of Libertad, Manticao and Naawan.

He said the last time it rained in Libertad was on January 23, while it was on the first week of this month in Manticao and Naawan based on the report from the municipal agriculture office.

He said that some of the corn crops in these areas are becoming dry and leaves have started curling, unlike in the eastern part of the province where it has been raining last February 19 to 21.

“Generally, there’s no reported damage yet but we’re on alert status because we cannot prevent this natural phenomenon,” Maputol.
He assured, though, that the Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental through PAO and with the help of the Department of Agriculture is now preparing measures to counter the possible impact of El Niño.

However, he said what the Provincial Government would possibly do with this phenomenon is on mitigation and intervention. (DA)