El Nino costs Philippine agriculture up to nearly 19 mln USD

El Nino costs Philippine agriculture up to nearly 19 mln USD (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippine government on March 6 said that the El Nino dry spell and drought has cost Philippine agriculture over 1 billion PHP (nearly 19 million USD) while the climate pattern may persist till the second quarter this year.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said El Nino has affected over 23,000 farmers and fisherfolk, and damaged nearly 18,000 hectares of crop areas in five regions across the country.

The Western Visayas region in the central Philippines reported the highest cost of agricultural damage, followed by the areas in the main Luzon Island and Zamboanga Peninsula in the south of Philippines.

The state weather bureau declared the start of the El Nino phenomenon in July last year. According to the bureau, most global climate models suggest that El Nino will likely persist until the March-April-May 2024 season.

On March 5, National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan voiced concern over the potential impact of a strong El Nino weather pattern on food prices.

The Philippine Statistics Authority data showed that year-on-year inflation in the country rose to 3.4% in February, while rice remained the top contributor to the higher inflation rate, recording a 23.7% price rise, the highest since February 2009.

The government is intensifying its efforts to mitigate the effects of the El Nino phenomenon and help keep the inflation rate within target, Balisacan added./.