Amid the worsening effects of climate change, particularly on the country’s agricultural sector, various smart farming technologies are being introduced to help sugarcane farmers adapt, according to the Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
In an article by Business Today, it is asserted that climate change has caused an estimated P463 billion in damages to the Philippines, of which about 62.7% or P290 billion was incurred by the agriculture sector due to extreme weather events such as typhoons and severe high temperatures, according to a 2021 report by the United Nations World Food Programme.
Sugarcane, one of the country’s major crops, was not spared from the effects of climate change.
Data from the Sugar Regulatory Administration showed that the country recorded its lowest milled, raw, and refined sugar output in crop year 2022 to 2023, the lowest in the last five crop years since 2018 to 2019, mainly due to the El Niño–induced dry spell.
Although El Niño is not caused by climate change, it may be affected by it in terms of frequency and intensity, according to an earlier report from the state weather bureau.
To help farmers cope with the effects of climate change, DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. said the agency has introduced various smart farming technologies on Negros Island, where about 60% of the country’s sugar output is produced.
“We have the furrow irrigation system so that we can maximize the use of rain,” Mr. Solidum told BusinessWorld.
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