Farmers in the Philippines urged to help mitigate impact of climate change

Noel Baguio in the Philippine News Agency Daily Reader: Governor Rodolfo del Rosario is encouraging the farmers to adapt modern farming techniques and to help mitigate the negative effects of climate change. This as the governor lauded the ingenuity and innovativeness of model-farmers in ensuring agricultural productivity and sustaining food sufficiency in the province.

Del Rosario noted that despite today's economic and climatic hardships, "our farmers remain steadfast in making the agriculture sector as one of the primary income-generators" of the province. In his message read by Vice Gov. Victorio Suaybaguio during the 3rd Provincial Gawad Saka Awarding Ceremony at the Bulwagan, del Rosario cited global warming as "the greatest threat to our own survival."

He lamented the agriculture sector is largely affected by the climate change as it is heavily dependent on the natural endowments and the climate that ensures the viability of our animals and crops. Del Rosario urged farmers to do something in the short-run to meet immediate needs, while joining the resonating global chorus on mitigating and reversing global warming and climate change.

"I encourage our farmers to adapt to change, modernize your farming techniques, and help us mitigate the negative effects of climate change," he urged.

More than the recognition that it bestows, del Rosario acknowledged the Gawad Saka award as a venue where outstanding farmers can share their best practices in mitigating the impact of climate change through adaptation. He asked stakeholders in the agriculture sector to spread the award-winning technologies quickly to ordinary farmers out there, whose fields are getting barren and unproductive especially with the onslaught of the El Niño phenomenon….