THE government will start cloud seeding operations this weekend to induce much needed rain that may ease the impact of the El Niño phenomenon, which has resulted in water shortage in parts of the country.

The operation, to start in Cauayan, Isabela, will be carried out from March to May, said the Philippine Air Force (PAF), which the Department of Agriculture, through the Bureau of Soils and Management, tapped for assistance, along with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).