1 week Ago By Ambo Delilan
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rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-1" );NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Erratic weather due to climate change has started wreaking havoc on the salt industry of Negros Occidental, the Bureau of Fishery and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said.Once the second-largest salt producer in Western Visayas after Iloilo, the province is now facing a salt production shortage.
Typically yielding an average of 3,070.93 metric tons (MT) of salt annually from January to May, production has plummeted. From January to March, only 181.
25 MT were produced, far below the usual output.Three localities are known for salt production in Negros Occidental – Bago City, Pulupandan, and San Enrique. However, a report from BFAR in Western Visayas, released on April 2, showed that, from January to March, only Pulupandan and San Enrique contributed to the province’s salt output, with 180,600 kilograms (kg) and 651 kg, respectively.
Bago City, historically a key producer, had no production during this period.The main culprit, according to Remia Appari, BFAR regional director, is erratic weather, particularly the early onset of the rainy season. While April and May are typically part of the summer season, they are now expected to bring more unpredictable weather patterns, making it even harder for salt production to stabilize.
“The erratic weather has impacted Bago City’s salt production in the first quarter,” said the BFAR regional office in its report. “With the forecasted wet summer, challenges in production will continue.”The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) ecoed such a concern, predicting a “wet summer” for the province.
Citing the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), PDRRMC head Irene Belle Plotenña said the province is expected to receive near-normal rainfall for April, with a maximum of 50 mm of rain.The projected rainfall, Plotenña said, means that the province will face increased water accumulation, which will further hinder evaporation – an important process in salt production.“The unpredictable weather is affecting the quantity and quality of salt,” Appari added.
“Rising sea levels and changing temperatures are causing low salt yields, and even the salt that is produced is not as good as it used to be.”With production typically concentrated from January to May, the province’s salt industry now faces a dire situation. The early onset of the rainy season has only exacerbated these difficulties.
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rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-2" );The BFAR said it has implemented early interventions to mitigate further losses.“Actually, we’ve been prepared for this possible shortage due to the anticipated effects of La Niña,” Appari said.
He said the response includes the development of a four-year salt industry project, which involves several initiatives aimed at improving production efficiency and sustainability.The initiatives include providing training programs and essential inputs to local salt producers, offering packaging and storage materials to extend shelf life, and assisting in the development and expansion of solar salt production facilities in key areas like Pulupandan, San Enrique, and Bago City. BFAR said it was also working with communities to establish community-based enterprises to reduce reliance on imported salt.
San Enrique Mayor Jilson Tuvillara expressed the town’s determination to keep the salt industry alive, despite the changing climate.“Yes, we face challenges considering now that we don’t know when is (dry season) and when is rainy season, so our salt farmers have an on-and-off production schedule,” Tuvillara said. “However, they still produce salt in spite of the weather challenges.
In between, they also use their salt beds as fishponds to breed fish.”In Bago City, where salt production has yet to begin, Mayor Nicholas Yulo emphasized the importance of the industry in the community’s heritage.“Salt production has been a way of life in Barangay Sampinit since time immemorial,” Yulo said.
“No matter what happens, our salt producers will endure the test of time. The city government is here to support them in whatever way we can to sustain production.” – Rappler.
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