THE Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has earmarked P30 million for cloud seeding operations in the Visayas to mitigate the impact of El Niño on sugarcane plantations.
Manuel Lamata, President of the United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed), confirmed this after receiving a letter from SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona dated October 26.
The letter stipulated that SRA has already allocated the budget for cloud seeding operations particularly in Negros Island and Panay, which accounts for the majority of the country’s raw sugar output.
‘We are thankful to Administrator Azcona for proactively addressing our concerns and we are hoping that the budget is more than enough to get us through the super El Niño,’ Lamata said.
The cloud seeding operations will start in November.
Lamata also thanked Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. for funding cloud seeding operations last month and pronouncements that the DA will also allocate additional budget for cloud seeding by next year.
‘These actions from Azcona and Laurel, especially during these dire times when we are faced with drought, pest infestation, rising cost of fuel and farm inputs, show their concern for the sugar industry and we are very grateful that we have proactive leaders like them’ he added.
Earlier, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is seeking more than P270 million to ramp up its cloud seeding operations to enhance rainfall and minimize the impact of El Niño on crop production.
Agriculture Undersecretary Roger Navarro said the agency has also requested the Department of National Defense (DND) to restore its clouding seeding team.
He said the DA has started cloud seeding operations through the P44 million earmarked under the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), but the implementation ‘is taking a long time, because we don’t have the technical people.’
Should the agency receive the additional funding, Navarro said this would augment its coffers to continue the cloud seeding operations until next year.
While the operations would span across regions with high production areas, he said these would not be targeted over specific crops.
State weather bureau Pagasa described cloud seeding as putting particles like salt into the cloud, so that the vapor will condense into water droplets.