Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday the province would consider cloud seeding to counter the dry spell that could adversely affect crops, particularly sugarcane, in the province. “That is always an option, when there is a long drought we always request for cloud seeding. Maybe the time is also good now because as you can experience, there is rain clouds. In fact, we also experience some rainfall,” he added. Lacson said that like in the past, the province can initiate cloud seeding with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA). “I’m also interested to know if there are already areas with reported damage because of the dry spell,” he added. Negros Occidental is the country’s top sugar-producing province, contributing almost 60 percent to the sugar output nationwide. On Sunday, Fifth District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo, a former SRA board member representing the planters, asked the DA, SRA and provincial government to prepare for eventual cloud seeding in the wake of extreme heat, which could severely affect the crops, particularly sugarcane. ‘We are in the middle of planting and cultivation, particularly in the sugar industry. This extreme heat and probably a dry spell in the coming weeks will have a drastic effect on our agriculture,’ Yulo said. “They can come up with a plan and start preparing for scheduled cloud seeding to ensure that our industry will not suffer from this extreme weather condition,’ he added. The lawmaker pointed out that following a low output in the last crop year compared to the previous years, efforts are being done to ensure the sugar industry increases its productivity. ‘We need to make sure that these efforts will not go to waste,” Yulo said, adding that the effects of a dry spell are “totally beyond the control of our farmers.’ Last February, Yulo said production estimate of the SRA at the end of the current crop year is only 1.9 million metric tons, lower than the domestic consumption of approximately 2.3 to 2.4 million
Source: Philippines News Agency