By Gio J. Tanudtanud
THE City Agriculturist Office said that mitigation measures and interventions are already in place to protect farmlands and farmers against the destructive impact of El Niño.
During the AgriBiz Media Forum at SM Lanang, the office’s acting assistant head, Ramon M. Lingatong Jr., said their preparations involved equipment and inputs from approved projects for agricultural areas.
According to Lingatong Jr., they have been preparing for disasters and proposing projects for food security since 2019 during the time of former Mayor Sara Duterte.
Among the equipment and machinery the city had funded included water pumps, power sprayers, and storage facilities to stockpile vegetable seeds, and boxes of fertilizers. However, the distribution of these supplies will depend on individual needs.
“We hope na ma kuan nato ni ma pugngan nato. Kung naa man gani, ready na pud ang LGU Davao City na muhatag og mga intervention kung unsay mahitabo (We hope it won’t push through. But if there is [El Niño], Davao City is ready to implement interventions),” he said
Lingatong Jr. added the city allocated a food security budget of P21 million, with P16 million for equipment and P5 million for inputs like pesticides, fertilizers, and vegetable seeds.
