El Nino may affect 20% of Philippines ricefields

NIA chief Guillen urged Filipino farmers to switch to high-yielding varieties. — Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA: The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is keeping a close watch on the rice fields of Central Luzon, the country’s rice granary, in anticipation of a decrease in production due to the effects of the prolonged drought this year, the agency’s administrator says.

In a television interview, NIA administrator Eduardo Guillen said they were projecting El Niño to affect 20% of the country’s rice farms, mainly due to an expected shortage of water for irrigation in Central Luzon.