P2.5M for cloud seeding to save rice harvest here

A cloud seeding operation will be conducted in order to save the palay harvest level threatened by the lack of rains during the past months.

A budgetary outlay of P2.3 million was approved by the provincial government for the 42-hour cloud seeding operation (CSO) over agricultural areas in the province especially in the watershed areas of the four dams namely: Malinao Dam in Pilar, Bayongan Dam (San Miguel), Capayas Dam (Ubay), and Talibon Dam (Talibon)); for the aircraft rental, vacuum dried fine salt, cell cards for the communications of the cloud seeding technicians and cloud spotters and catering services for the workshops.

Asst. Provl Agriculturist Larry Pamugas bore that additional funding will be sourced out for alonger cloud seeding operation.

The budget was approved during the joint council meeting of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, Provincial Peace and Order Council and the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council held at the Loon Municipal Hall last Thursday.

Gov. Edgar M. Chatt sent the letters to Director (Dir.) Angel C. Enriquez, Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office  (DA-RFO7) Regional Dir. Salvador D. Diputado and Dir. Vicente Malanog,Philippine Atmospheric  Geophysical and Astronomical Services (PAG-ASA) formally requesting for funding support from their agencies for the CSOs.

Pamugas explained that the operation will push through even as some towns have experienced light to moderate rains starting August 25, 2018. However, the rain water hardly drenched the cracked rice fields. He said that based on the report of the National Irrigation Administration  (NIA)- Bohol the average dam elevation has decreased from 0-79 to 3.95 meters (ms.) of the four dams which is the most critical level as of August 17, 2018.

The Malinao Dam has decreased 1.25 ms., Bayongan Dam (3.95ms.), Talibon Dam (2.37 ms.), and the .79 m. decrease in Capayas Dam, Pam gas said.

He added that NIA-Bohol also reported based on data as of August 15,2018 that within the Bohol Irrigation System, the total area planted with rice for the second cropping (May to October 2018) is 15,653 hectares (has.) of which the 9,979 has. Of these are under the reproductive stage and the 5,674 hectares are under the vegetative stage, while the 404 has. Are still under land preparation.

Pamugas said the Federated Irrigators Association in Bohol passed a resolution addressed to Gov. Chatto and BSWM Dir. Enriquez humbly requesting the conduct of CSO to the watershed areas of which such resolution was strongly endorsed by NIA-7 Regional Manager Modesto G. Membreve. (with reports from Atoy Cosap)