The Agriculture department is preparing for the worst amid dry spell in the region by advising the farmers how to produce drought-tolerant crops.

Below is an article published by Sun Star.

THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA)-Cordillera is preparing for a worst-case scenario that may be brought by the dry spell now experienced throughout the country.

Although the region does not suffer much damage as experienced by other lowland areas, farmers here are being readied for the worst possible case.

Among the most practical ways to combat the effect of the long dry spell is for the farmers to produce drought-tolerant crops, said DA Regional Director Cesar Rodriguez.

Rice growing areas, like Kalinga, Ifugao, Apayao and Abra are among the provinces that are monitored by the agency, although Rodriguez said there are no reports of damages from these areas yet.

He said regional offices have been ordered to concentrate their resources for possible loss that may be incurred by farmers, especially if the dry spell continues until next month [September 2007]

"We are conducting evaluation and might ask for additional funding if we run out of our regular budget," Rodriguez yesterday told reporters. He said there is no additional budget released to regional offices to be used for drought-related damages.

Rodriguez said the effects of the long dry spell would be milder for Benguet and Mt. Province and even Baguio, which has been benefiting from the rains brought by the cloud-seeding operations done by the government.

The cloud-seeding operations were intended for regions I and II which, Rodriguez said, are suffering much from the lack of rain.

The government is implementing the cloud-seeding operations in a bid to produce rains to raise the water levels of major power generating plants.

The critical levels of dams in Luzon have been causing massive blackouts in other areas of the country.