Cloud Seeding in Bikol to Cost P 2.5-Million

PILI, CAMARINES SUR (13 March 2010) - The current cloud seeding operations being conducted by the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) under the Department of Agriculture (DA) is costing the agency some P2.5 Million, according to an official report of the DA regional office here on Friday (March 12).

Intended to mitigate the effects of the worsening dry-spell in Bikol region, the BSWM's cloud seeding operations targeted the worst-hit areas in the island province of Masbate, in Camarines Sur and Albay.

Recent showers brought by the tail-end of the Cold Front on Wednesday and Thursday this week intensified into widely spread rains induced by the said cloud seeding operations, drenching ricefields and uplands as far as Sorsogon province, the three districts in Camarines Sur, and the 3^rd district of Albay.

In her report to DA OIC Under-Secretary for Operations Joel S. Rudinas, in-charge of "Task Force El Niño," DA Bicol OIC regional executive director Marilyn V. Sta. Catalina stated that cloud seeding operations of the BSWM were started in Masbate Island, in Camarines Sur and Albay since March 6, with 11 sorties flown by a BSWM aircraft of the BSWM, spreading 176 bags of "vacuumed dried salt" at 25 kgs. per/bag in the Bikol atmosphere.

The cloud-seeding operations induced rains in the towns of Aroroy, Borongan, Talisay, Uson, Malbog, Buenavista in Masbate province; in Sipocot, Libmanan, Cabusao, all rice granary localities in Camarines Sur; and in Guinobatan, Polangui, Libon, Ligao, all rice-areas in Albay.

BSWM's rain inducing-operations have a contract of 30 hours at a minimum and 70-hours maximum on the flight sorties. The operations also have a maximum operation of 45 days and a minimum of 30 days.

PAGASA had earlier predicted that rain in Bikol might come by early June, but it also predicted that the dry-spell will continue on April until July 2010.

Meanwhile director Catalina also reported that from an earlier assessment of P 230-Million damages on rice, corn, high-value crops, and livestocks due to El Niño, total crop damages reported on March 11 have reached to P 384-Million including those from the provinces of Catanduanes, Camarines Sur and Albay.

Drought-affected areas of planted with rice and corns and other crops have also reached 17,393,33 hectares, with affected farmers numbering 15,874. Crop losses on rice and corn were placed at 35,605,393 metric-tons.

The DA has intensified info-campaigns on the El Niño effects in farming communities, in which pumps and fuel were also sent to identified areas where lowland farmers have other sources of water, particularly in Camarines Sur and Albay. (SONNY SALES)

Technorati Tags: Bikol News News Edition