NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHROINCLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.

In order to save the vegetative stage of rice and other crops planted this season, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) will conduct cloud seeding operations if the absence of rain for many weeks already has continued to be experienced in Bohol until the end of this month.

Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas said that the PGBh has readied to conduct cloud seeding operations, however, has waited for the recommendation from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) on when to conduct.

Dr. Pamugas said that during the rice technicians meeting last Thursday at the New Capitol Building, Leonard Samar from PAG-ASA Radar Station in Albur forecasted that on the 3rd week of this month, Bohol and other provinces in the country would experience Near Normal Weather conditions.

The Assistant Provincial Agriculturist disclosed that he already received information from the field that there are rain-fed rice lands affected and hopefully tomorrow or next days he could formally submit the damage report to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).

He said that no need for the Boholano farmers to worry if their rice-planted areas have been being insured because they can claim the damage indemnity from the Philippine Crops Insurance Corporation (PCIC).

Lorebien Lagapa, Provincial Rice Coordinator, said that the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in the province has implemented or applied the wet and dry technology in delivering irrigation water to their service areas.

Lagapa said that Bayongan Dam in Pilar, Malinao Dam (Pilar), Capayas Dam (Ubay) and Talibon Dam in Zamora, Talibon can provide irrigation water for one week and what is being affected by this hot weather condition those rain-fed areas which are dependent on rains, small river, and small water impounding sources.

The province of Bohol has 47,378 hectares (has.) of rice production areas of which 24,336 has. of these are rain-fed and 23,042 has. are fed via irrigation.

It may be recalled that the PGBh had already conducted several cloud seeding operations way back in 2012, 2016, 2018 and 2019 saving the planted agricultural products, livestock and most especially human lives. (with reports from Atoy Cosap)