Sectors in Cagayan are now looking into methods to cushion the impact of the unrelenting dry spell. Small water reservoirs are already being used in the province and are easing the effects of the El Niño phenomenon for fish farmers. Built like small dams or pits, these reservoirs were constructed by the provincial governments of Cagayan and Isabela. These man-made ponds serve as a reserve water supply and also as aid in controlling the erosion of water channels.

Fish breeders have also benefited from these reservoirs. The Liwan Norte Irrigators Association (LNIA) in Enrile, Cagayan, has harvested more than 700 kilos of fish since November. The Liwan Norte reservoirs cover 50 hectares. In a report, LNIA secretary Rolando Maneja said that they mainly breed tilapia, selling these for Php 65 a kilo.

The regional office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) conducted a demonstration on the use of fish cages. Other individuals have caught on the technology and installed fish cages in these water impoundments. The NLIA charges fees from these fish cage operators. To prevent overfishing, only the hook and line contraption may be used for harvesting.

According to a report, BFAR Assistant Regional Director Severina Bueno said, “Small water impoundment projects and small farm reservoirs are ideal for fish production given their semi-confined feature, which minimizes the threat of floods and strong water current in case of bad weather.” She said that since 2009, about a million tilapia and carp fingerlings have been stored in 104 irrigation facilities. For every hectare, 5,000 fingerlings are stocked.

Jack Enrile, Cagayan senior economic adviser, advised the multiple use of water systems. He recommended that multi-purpose reservoirs should be used to efficiently utilize water from upper catchments and estuaries. Officials from the northern area of the province have already decided to set off the multiple use of their water systems. Enrile said in a report, “Proper water management is the key in easing the impact of drought. Even if irrigation systems have been designed for field crops, they can also be used for cattle or backyard irrigation.”

For Enrile, the management of these water impounding projects still needs reinforcement. “While water for agriculture is essential, we will also activate the multiple uses of this scarce resource for home gardens, poultry and livestock raising, aquaculture and rural enterprise among others,” Enrile said in a report. He added that in cases of El Nino, irrigation structures are the main water providers. As farmers cannot afford these services, they are among the worst hit by the climate change.

In Nueva Vizcaya, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is already looking into possible alternative crops for farmers that are severely affected by the dry spell. After the declaration of the state of calamity, government agencies identified areas that are seriously suffering from the drought at a regional planning workshop held in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. Suffering from crop losses amounting to around Php 900 million, the provincial government declared Cagayan under the state of calamity last February 15.

Fidel Ballesteros, operations division head and officer-in-charge of the agriculture office in Nueva Vizcaya suggested that farmers plant crops that are able to weather dry the season to lessen their financial losses. Among these crops is the mungbean. He added that these can also provide “soil conditioners” for their land.

Cagayan Valley Agriculture Executive Director Andrew Villacorta estimates the damage of the crops to around P3 billion. Palay, corn and vegetables are among the plants that have dried up because of the dearth in water for irrigation.

The government has resorted to periodic cloud seeding but so far, these have barely produced any rainfall since the operations began last month. The provincial government of Cagayan has promised Php 5 million as assistance to affected famers. In a report, Villacorta said that 1,000 water pumps are being prepared for lending to farmers who are near water sources. He also proposed that 40-50 liters of gasoline for every water pump be subsidized.

Nevertheless, long-term solutions should be looked into to ensure that our agricultural sector would fare better in the coming dry seasons. The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and Danggayan Dagiti Mannalon ti Cagayan Valley (Danggayan-CV) have blamed the Arroyo government’s policies for the massive crop damage in the region. The privatization of the Magat Dam means that its owner, SN Aboitiz, is in full control of water that the groups believe, should be “communally owned and used.”

According to a report, mining and logging have lowered water levels in watersheds and the Magat dam. The report cited farmers, who said that these operations are the main causes for flash floods in the wet season and the drying up of water irrigation sources during the dry season. Kalinga Governor Floydelia Diasen stressed that the government and the private sector need to cooperate to avert more losses for farmers. She said that denuded watersheds and forests should be fervently reforested to normalize the water levels in river systems.

For further reading:

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/185186/cagayan-eyes-multi-water-source-system-to-taper-effects-of-drought

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/02/14/10/cagayan-farmers-bank-success-cloud-seeding-rain

http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&sec=reader&rp=2&fi=p100212.htm&no=11&date=

http://balita.ph/2010/02/18/cagayan-valley-da-office-conducts-planning-workshop-on-el-nino-phenomenon/

http://kilusangmagbubukid.org/press/290

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/184436/cagayan-valley-benefits-from-small-water-reservoirs-amid-el-nio

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/184070/cagayan-under-state-of-calamity-due-to-el-nintildeo

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/02/16/10/state-calamity-declared-cagayan-due-dry-spell

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/244617/cagayan-valley-reports-p3-billion-drought-damage

image credit: Fr. Jessie