The agriculture sector is facing a double jeopardy due to the El Niño phenomenon.

Aside from lack of water for irrigation, the prevailing weather condition also triggers the occurrence of pests that destroy agricultural crops.

Department of Agriculture regional executive director Cesar Rodriquez said the agency is bracing for possible pest outbreaks that may be caused by the very warm weather and the lack of water.

“The DA is on guard for possible outbreak of pests, which is triggered by the dry atmosphere,” he said.

Mealy bugs and aphids are among the agricultural pests that occur during a long drought, Rodriguez said.

These pests affect mostly leguminous crops, considered to be among the drought-resistant plants.

The DA is continuously monitoring the occurrence of pests and diseases, among the other mitigating measures and actions undertaken by the department.

The dry spell already wrought millions worth of damages to agricultural crops in the Cordillera.

Based on the DA report, the estimated volume of production loss for vegetables, banana, and coffee reached 6,291 metric tons valued at P39 million as of Feb. 17.

These losses were caused by the decrease in yield due to stunted growth, wilting, shortened harvest period on legumes, and poor quality of produce. No damages resulting from pest attacks or outbreaks have been reported yet.

As of Feb. 12, a total of 41,955 hectares of corn plantation were determined as vulnerable to the negative impacts of El Niño, the DA reported. This constitutes 91 percent of the 46,019 hectares total area planted to the commodity.