El Niño disrupts rice planting, water supply in Agusan del Sur

SAN FRANCISCO, AGUSAN DEL SUR, Philippines — The prolonged El Niño phenomenon has affected more than 35,000 hectares of rice lands in this province, leaving about 21,600 farmers unable to plant at the start of the July cropping season, as dry conditions continue to reduce water availability across the province. Provincial agriculturist Armando Valiente raised