DEC.

27, 2013

NR # 3329

Solon: Creation of Agricultural Weather Office vital in crop planning of farm producers
A House member is seeking the creation of an Agricultural Weather Office that will provide reliable and accessible weather information to agricultural producers to guide them in their crop planning and management. Rep. Delph Gan Lee !art"#list$ AGR%& raised the proposal$ noting that each "ear$ agricultural crops worth millions of pesos are lost or destro"ed due to inade'uate weather information received b" agricultural producers. ()ver" "ear$ agricultural crops worth millions are lost or damaged b" unforeseen weather disturbances. *hese losses are caused b" the lack of or inade'uac" of weather information. +uch weather information would have enabled agricultural producers to take the necessar" precaution against natural calamities$, said Lee. +he said the proposed Agricultural Weather Office shall be responsible for the collection and distribution of weather information that will address the needs of agricultural producers. (Reliable weather and accessible information on the weather is essential to agricultural producers. %t is an important factor in crop planning and management. *he t"pe of crop to be planted is mainl" dependent on e-isting weather and climactic conditions. .ertain t"pes of crops are suitable onl" for the wet season and will not thrive during the dr" season$, said Lee. Lee$ a vice chairperson of the House committee on /icol Recover" and )conomic Development$ said accurate weather information is also significant in minimi0ing the losses caused b" e-treme and une-pected changes in the weather condition and weather disturbances. Her proposal embodied in House /ill 1233 or the proposed (4ational Agriculture Weather %nformation Act of 1563, is now pending at the House committee on agriculture and food chaired b" Rep. 7ark Llandro 7endo0a 8th District$ /atangas&.*he bill provides that the +ecretar" of Agriculture shall establish within the Department of Agriculture DA& an Agriculture Weather Office to plan and administer the 4ational Agricultural Weather %nformation +"stem. *he DA +ecretar" shall appoint a director to manage the activities of the Agricultural Weather Office and to advise the secretar" on scientific and pragmatic coordination for climate$ weather and remote#sensing$ the bill provides.

*he bill further provides the DA +ecretar"$ acting through the Agricultural Weather Office$ ma" enter into cooperative pro9ects with the !hilippine Atmospheric$ Geoph"sical and Astronomical +ervices Administration !AGA+A& and other related agencies to : +upport operational weather forecasting and observation$ useful in agriculture; +ponsor 9oint workshops to train agriculturists about the optimum utili0ation of agricultural weather and climate data; <ointl" develop improved computer models and computing capacit"; and )nhance the 'ualit" and availabilit" of weather and climate information needed b" agriculturists. *he DA +ecretar" ma" also: Obtain standardi0ed weather observation data collected in near real time through regional Agricultural Weather %nformation +"stems; 7ake$ through the Department of +cience and *echnolog" DO+*& $ competitive grants for research in atmospheric science and technolog"; .oordinate the activities of the Agricultural Weather Office with the weather and climate research activities of the DO+*; and )ncourage private sector participation in the 4ational Agricultural Weather %nformation +"stem through mutuall" beneficial cooperation with the private sector particularl" in the generation of weather and climactic data useful for site#specific agricultural forecasting$ the bill provides. *he measure provides that weather and climate information collected shall be distributed to agricultural producers through the use of the following: Weekl" publications containing weather forecasts and other information about anticipated temperatures and precipitation levels; *oll#free and local telephone numbers that agricultural producers can call to obtain immediate information to assist with specific da"#toda" production activities; and +uch other methods as the DA and DO+* +ecretaries consider appropriate to distribute such weather and climate information to agricultural producers in a timel" manner. 35& rbb