The Department of Agriculture-Davao Region (DA-11) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) unit said Wednesday it allotted PHP678 million for the maximization of production in non-vulnerable areas, particularly in Davao del Norte and Davao Occidental.

In a press briefing here, DRRM focal person Joedel Leliza that among all provinces in the region, they identified Davao del Norte as the least vulnerable to El Niño this year.

As a strategy, the agency boosted rice production in the province.

“The production in Davao del Norte is expected to increase by 20 to 30 percent this second semester. DA is focusing on increasing our food supply,” he added.

Leliza also reported that actions are in place as El Niño mitigation plans are laid down in coordination with the National Irrigation Administration-Davao (NIA-11).

“There is a need to safeguard the rice fields. For NIA-11, if the communal and national irrigation systems’ water levels decrease to 0.5 or 0.6 meters, there will be a rotational release of water. Open surface pumps are also prepared to provide water,” he said.

The agency has an outstanding PHP729.1 million budget under its El Niño Action Plan, comprising PHP40.41 million for preparatory activities, PHP678.73 million for maximizing production in non-vulnerable areas and PHP9.97 million for sustaining production in vulnerable areas.

The agency also requested for PHP268.5 million from the national office’s Quick Response Fund to be utilized for the Moisture Stress Rehabilitation Plan and an additional amount for the El Niño Mitigation Plan.

Data from the DA-11 DRRM revealed that, as of October, moisture stress had damaged more than PHP584.6 million worth of crops and affected 6,205 farmers across the region.

Moisture stress is an abiotic condition in which plants experience either an insufficient or excessive water supply.

“The most affected province by moisture stress is Davao de Oro,” Leliza said. (PNA)