About P61 million in crops were destroyed in Negros Oriental due to the recent El Niño episode, Provincial Agriculturist Greg Paltinca said yesterday.

During a Kapihan sa PIA Forum, Paltinca said that corn crops suffered the most due to the heavy drought, with Bayawan City in the south being the hardest hit.

As of April 2003, a total of 1,454 hectares of land targetted for corn production were affected by the drought in Bayawan City, causing an estimated P29 million in losses, Paltinca said.

Other crops affected by the drought included rice, sugarcane, mongo, cotton, and vegetables.

The areas in Negros Oriental affected by the El Niño episode are Canlaon City, Tanjay City, Bayawan City, and the towns of Guihulngan, La Libertad,Tayasan, Bindoy, Amlan, and Sta. Catalina.

Paltinca said the Provincial Agriculturist's Office has so far distributed

9,000 kilograms of corn seeds to farmers hit by the drought, while fertilizers or "input support" will also be distributed later.

Paltinca said despite mitigating measures taken to prevent destruction as a result of the El Niño, the province still suffered the consequences because of an unexpected drop in the level of irrigation water due to the drought.

Meanwhile, local PAG-ASA chief Edsin Culi said the 2002-2003 El Niño mild episode has already started to dissipate and there are still no signs of a La Niña spell.

He said the rains experienced by the country today are brought about by the tropical depressions and the southwestern monsoon.*JSF

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