Cloudseeding operations in the Negros Island Region (NIR) and Panay have begun, United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) president Manuel Lamata said Sunday, Sept. 13.
He thanked Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) for responding quickly to their request for intervention amid the worsening El Niño conditions.
A “super, super El Niño” is expected to be felt in Negros Occidental starting October to hopefully only the first quarter of 2027, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said earlier.
The dry spell is already being felt in some parts of the province.
Lamata said that eight cloudseeding sorties have already been completed — four in Panay and four in NIR.
“All sorties have been successful, with the latest conducted Saturday in Bayawan (Negros Oriental), which brought very much-needed rain,” Lamata said, citing reports from UNIFED member Adnan Buenafe.
Lamata added that Mayor Richard Jaojoco also confirmed successful rainfall, sharing video footage of showers across Barangays San Isidro and Bug-ang in Toboso, Negros Occidental.
Lamata emphasized that cloudseeding is vital not only to relieve severe drought stress on sugarcane crops but also to curb the spread of the Red Stripe Soft Scale Insect (RSSI), a pest whose infestations intensify under dry weather conditions.
To sustain the effort, Lamata asked SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona to coordinate with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. for additional funding to expand cloudseeding coverage across the region.
The UNIFED chief renewed his call for the provincial government of Negros Occidental to acquire its own aircraft for aerial spraying and cloudseeding.
“As the country’s top sugar-producing province, we must be self-reliant in responding to recurring climate threats and pest outbreaks,” Lamata said, noting that frequent dry spells in recent years make long-term disaster preparedness essential.*
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