Dry spell spares Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya provinces

By Victor Martin

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya– The provinces of Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya were spared from the dry spell that has been affecting the rest of the country, the Department of Agriculture said.

Provincial agriculture officer Alexander Domingo said because of the good irrigation system and forest cover, Nueva Vizcaya gets sufficient rain even during the months of March, April and up to present.

“We are blessed because we have sufficient water coming from the different tributaries of the Magat River,” Domingo said.

The province’s crop production is stable and remains unaffected by the drought, unlike the neighboring areas in Cagayan Valley, particularly in Isabela, whose corn harvest suffered damage from the dry spell, DA regional executive director Lucrecio Alviar Jr. said. 

“You are lucky here in Nueva Vizcaya because you avoided major damage brought by the drought,” Alviar said during a visit of DA Secretary Proceso Alcala to the province this week.

Alcala inaugurated one of the country’s first organic trading center worth P18 million at the Cagayan Valley Regional Organic Trading Center in Bagabag town and another trading center in Bambang town here.

Meanwhile, Edelgrace Gumowang of the Ifugao provincial agriculture office said no drought occurred in their province because rains continued even during summer.

“Our farmers from the town of Alfonso Lista, Asipulo, Hingyon, Banaue, Kiangan, Lagawe, Lamut and Mayoyao are currently planting upland rice because of the good condition of their farms and the continuous rainfall,” Gumowang said.