balita.ph; February 5, 2013 11:11 am 

ILOILO CITY, Feb. 5 — The increasing consumption of rice and its possible shortage due to El Niño (long dry spell) has prompted the Department of Agriculture 6 (DA-6) to promote white corn as an alternative to this staple food.

DA-6 Director Larry Nacionales said people eat white corn instead of rice while some mix both.

While the region’s rice production is stable, he also urged farmers to plant other drought-resistant crops like corn, camote, banana and watermelon because they do not need much water and can still produce high yield even without rain for a long time.

He said seeds are available in the market and in their office.

He added that the DA-6 has allocated P2 million for mitigating measures against the effects of the El Niño phenomenon in the region.

The fund, which is allocated for Western Visayas and Cagayan Valley by the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, will be used for cloud seeding if the drought worsens. [(PNA)FPV/AJP/MGCAOYONAN/VLO]