[ad_1]
For 18 months, Philippine farmers have had to cope with drought and drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon, which has caused $325 million in crop losses. Producing food and income is a challenge for more than 400,000 affected farming families, more than half of whom live in poor areas of Mindanao. In addition to internal funding, FAO’s response in the affected areas has benefited from co-contributions from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium (through FAO’s Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities), and from Other FAO emergency response and rehabilitation projects Funded by the Governments of Ireland, New Zealand and Norway.
Following the initial phase of its El Niño response in Central Luzon and Central Mindanao, FAO has expanded its response to cover an additional 5 500 agriculture-dependent households in four provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Region XII of SOCCSKSARGEN.
“We have just completed the distribution of certified rice seeds, maize seeds, fertilizers and vegetable seeds in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao,” said Jose Luis Fernandez, FAO Representative in the Philippines. “These inputs will allow families to resume their livelihood activities and grow food for their family consumption.”
The Department of Agriculture (DA) estimated that in these four provinces alone, 101,000 hectares of farmland were affected by El Niño, causing production losses worth $17.9 million between February 2015 and July 2016.
At the request of the Department of Agriculture’s Regional Field Office XII and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, FAO has expanded its response to complement the Philippine Government’s efforts to combat El Niño across 16 regions in the country.
“We are affected by the drought, especially because the El Nino phenomenon lasted so long and coincided with the rat infestation. Many farmers here have seen a 30 to 40 percent reduction in production,” said Rahib Mamaluba, a farmer and technician from Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Enhanced resilience
To establish Disaster Preparedness and Climate Change Adaptation FAO has also carried out training activities on drought management, improving crop yields and coping with climate stress in the beneficiary communities. It is expected that this will provide training for more than 100 agricultural technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture and local governments, as well as local farmer trainers, to replicate these workshops in their respective communities. Barangaywhich means village, district or administrative area in Filipino.
“It gives us courage because even before the disaster strikes, we already know how to prepare,” explained Jalani Paguitar, a farmer from Datu Salibo, Maguindanao.
In an earlier project that ended in June 2016, FAO also worked closely with the Department of Agriculture and the Autonomous Region of Mindanao to provide similar assistance to 5,000 farming and fishing families in Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces whose livelihoods had been disrupted by natural and man-made disasters, including displacement due to armed conflict, drought and floods. Women were also trained in alternative livelihoods, such as water hyacinth handicraft production, and post-harvest and value-added technologies to help supplement household income, thereby accelerating post-disaster recovery at the household level.
Rahib added: “With the assistance we have received and what we have learned from the training, I hope that one day there will be no more poor farmers in our community.”
To date, FAO has assisted 54,300 farmers Luzon and Mindanao, where livelihoods are affected by drought and Strong typhoon Related to the El Nino phenomenon.
FAO in Mindanao
FAO supports governments Restoring livelihoods and improve Farmers and Fishermen This includes the provision of agricultural and fisheries inputs, value-added technologies, start-up resources, and training in vulnerability assessment and risk reduction planning at the farm level. Agriculture and Agribusiness Strategic Plan This will maximize unique agribusiness opportunities in key urban and rural and conflict-sensitive areas.
More support coming soon
Under an ongoing $3 million project funded by the Government of New Zealand, FAO will provide crop, livestock, poultry and fisheries production inputs to an additional 10,475 farming and fishing households in North Cotabato Province. Communities will also benefit from training in climate-smart practices, disaster preparedness, alternative livelihoods and product value addition. Assistance will be provided in phases until October 2017.
[ad_2]
Source link
