Cagayan Valley sounds alarm on looming rice crisis

By Armand Tamaray

TUGUEGARAO CITY -- The Philippines faces a serious rice crisis by September or October if the El Niño drought persists in the next two weeks, Cagayan Gov. Alvaro Antonio warned.

“Cagayan Valley is the country’s rice barometer for production, and if no remedies are in place to save standing crops, we will lose everything,” he said.

Isabela and Cagayan are the country’s leading rice producers.

“Metro Manila, the Ilocos, Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog regions where we send most of our palay will be adversely affected,” Antonio said. “Rice farms already planted are dying up and with no rains all the rice crop will be lost.”

As much as 65 percent of Cagayan’s rice production is distributed to other regions, he said.

“It is imperative that the national government should step in to avert a major rice shortage,” said Jack Enrile, a senior adviser to the provincial government.

“About P10 billion in expected crop harvest nationwide may be lost this year because of the drought caused by the El Niño weather,” he said