The Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) is aiming to start cloudseeding operations in Negros Occidental and Western Visayas in the first week of July to mitigate crop damage caused by the lack of rain.
The BSWM has already bid out the cloudseeding project and is currently in the process of awarding the contract for the procurement and rental of the aircraft, Department of Agriculture-Negros Island Region (DA-NIR) Director Jose Albert Barrogo said on Wednesday, May 27.
The bureau has allocated ₱6 million for the initiative, but could increase the amount if needed, Barrogo said.
Barrogo said the cloudseeding team will be stationed in Bacolod City. Crews will be on standby to deploy immediately once suitable cloud formations are spotted, he said.
The intervention comes amid rising concerns over crop damage caused by severe moisture stress due to lack of rain. While the DA is still awaiting a consolidated regional report on the full extent of the water scarcity damage, local losses are already mounting.
According to a May 22 report from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, Negros Occidental has already suffered ₱16.2 million in damages to rice and high-value crops due to extreme moisture stress.*
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