Farmer's hope withers as prolonged dry spell cracks Isabela soil

MANILA, Philippines — A 55-year-old farmer Eddie Matute stood on the edge of his rice field on the evening of Saturday, July 11, as several hectares of land began to crack due to the prolonged dry spell gripping Isabela and much of Northern Luzon.

For Matute, a resident of Barangay Callao, Alicia, Isabela, who has spent three decades farming, the lack of rain and limited water from Magat Dam left him with no choice but to spend thousands of pesos to keep his palay alive.

He told the INQUIRER that he had to irrigate his land so he could apply fertilizer, as the soil had become too dry to sustain the rice seedlings transplanted several weeks earlier.

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READ: As heat worsens, Isabela farmers shift work to midnight

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Matute said irrigating one hectare initially cost him around P2,000 because the land still retained some moisture. But as the heat persisted over the past few days, his expenses rose to about P10,000 to irrigate two hectares.

The dwindling water supply from irrigation canals and other waterways has also forced him to postpone planting on the remaining half-hectare of his farmland.

“I’ll just wait for the rain,” Matute said in Ilocano, expressing helplessness and anxiety as much of Isabela has yet to receive significant rainfall despite being placed under Signal No. 1 due to Typhoon Inday.

The worsening dry conditions have coincided with declining water levels at Magat Dam, a major irrigation source serving more than 9,000 hectares of rice lands across Isabela, Cagayan, Quirino, and Nueva Vizcaya.

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READ: LOOK: Magat Dam water level nears critical mark

As of 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, the reservoir’s water level stood at 160.19 meters, inching closer to its critical level and raising concerns among farmers who depend on its irrigation supply.

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“I only experienced this now,” he said, recalling that he had never experienced such severe dry conditions in his 30 years of farming.

READ: Not only drought but floods: What to expect from severe El Niño?

Even if rains eventually arrive, he fears they may come too late—or too strong.

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“Even with the onset of the rains, farmers may still earn less because of strong winds and lower crop prices,” he said, worrying that the onset of the typhoon season in September and October could damage his crops while low farmgate prices erode his earnings. /mcm