BALANGA CITY — El Nino was forecasted to affect Bataan in October 2023 yet but its effect is already felt with the drying of an irrigation dam servicing farmers in the towns of Orani and Samal, the provincial agriculture office said today, June 10.
Provincial agriculturist Engr. Joey Dizon cited the case of the Tangilad Dam, an impounding dam in Orani, where the source of water is scarce due to lesser rains.
She said that farmers have to adjust their cropping calendar this rainy season like moving the planting time from this week until end of July instead of the usual schedule of planting ending on July 15.
Dizon noted that in Samal, some 200 hectares have to adjust the cropping calendar. She emphasized, however, that El Nino has so far not affected the rice plants but the cropping calendar only.
She said that her office conducts information dissemination to advise farmers to use palay seeds with early maturity date so that the water impounded will be enough for the rainy planting season.
To further minimize the use of water, Dizon said they have advised farmers to diversify and plant crops not so much in need of water like vegetables, corn, peanut, and mongo while still under the threat of El Nino.
She said that the provincial agriculture office and the Department of Agriculture Region 3 are helping the farmers through the distribution of free seeds and other assistance.
Bataan has 11,000 hectares of land planted to palay with average yield of 4.5 metric tons per hectare.
Marcos Vizon, president of the Imelda Irrigators Service Association (IISA), said “dahil sa El Nino may tagtuyot kaya nauubusan ng tubig ang Tangilad Dam.”
The farmer from Barangay Imelda in Samal said that water in the Tangilad Dam comes from the Orani River.
“Mahina ang tubig kaya hindi sapat sa kailangan ng magsasaka. Ang pinakamalaking epekto ng tagtuyot ay ang kawalan ng ulan. Kapag maganda dating ng ulan, sagana kami sa tubig,” Vizon said.
He added that as president of the irrigators association and seeing the situation of the dam, he has to control the planting schedules of his members. “Ako ang kumokontrol sa mga farmer na huwag munang magpunla kasi kapag magpupunla sila tatanda ang punla nila kung walang maibigay na tubig.”
IISA has 93 farmer-members tilling 240 hectares of rice lands. Other farmers benefitting from Tangilad Dam are from Orani.
Vizon said some farmers instead of “lipat–tanim” or transplanting palay, resort to “sabog-tanim” or direct seeding that he said consumes less water. “Hindi masyadong matakaw sa tubig ang sabog-tanim.”
The farmer appealed to government to desilt the Tangilad Dam so it can function well.
