AGGIE UPDATE

Rep. Dangwa funds Arabica growers

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Arabica coffee farmers in Benguet got a significant boost with the release of much needed funds by the office of Rep. Samuel Dangwa last week.

The Bokod Arabica Coffee Growers Association, Inc. (BACGAI) that received the fund release of P250,000 purchased around 30,000 seedlings for distribution to its members all over Benguet. Ernest Dangwa representing the congressman, together with Engr. Roberto K. Fernando, Jr. and Donald Diwas; BACGAI president and treasurer, respectively, inspected the seedlings delivered to one of the farms recently.

“The initial purchase would jump-start the development of the coffee farming industry in Benguet as there is now high demand for Benguet coffee, particularly the Arabica brand,” Fernando said. Organized in 2006, the BACGAI has started establishing Arabica coffee farm plantations in the Municipality of Bokod with an objective to provide more employment and agri-business for the community.

The coffee farmer-members of the organization, according to Fernando, intend to plant thousands of coffee Arabica seedlings, including shade trees, to help meet the demand for the Benguet coffee brand in the local and global market. The Department of Agriculture and the Office of the Congressman in Benguet have been supporting the BACGAI through trainings, seeds and seedlings production and providing for farm implements. So far, the member-farmers planted around 250,000 seedlings and trees in the barangays of Daclan, Karao, Pito, Poblacion, Ambuclao, Bobok and Tikey, and were able to revive old but existing plantations. – March L. Fianza


Agriculture ‘key’ to RP economic growth
BAGUIO CITY -- The enhancement of the local agriculture industry nationwide would be a potent factor in propelling the country’s economy.

This was the contention of officials of the Regional Development Council in the Cordillera and militant groups who are strongly advocating sufficient government support for the country’s agriculture sector to address the rice crisis and food problems in some parts of the country.

Both government and private sectors were demanded a holistic approach on the current food crisis in the country that saw the prices of rice rise to over P40 a kilo despite repeated pronouncement by government officials on the sufficient supply of rice in the country.

At the same time, the multi-sectoral groups in the Cordillera are calling on the National Food Authority to flood the market with its abundant supply of locally-produced and imported rice to mitigate the effects of the so-called abnormal supply of cheap rice coupled with the hoarding activities done by big-time rice traders and retailers.

While expressing their support on mitigating measures by concerned government agencies, the RDC and the National Irrigation Administration in the Cordillera sought national government policy for the stoppage of the conversion of vast tracks of agricultural lands to industrial lands that would eventually hamper production of rice and other high value agricultural crops instrumental in sustaining the country’s food security for the future generation.

Ironically, militant groups admitted the government is simply putting a stop-gap measure on the effects of the food crisis but it does not have the concrete and realistic programs and projects that would propel the country’s agriculture sector into greater heights.

Cordillera groups are seeking utmost government support on preservation of the region’s vital watersheds as the Cordillera is considered “watershed cradle of Northern Luzon.” Without proper preservation and protection efforts, they said the vast track of agricultural lands in the Ilocos, Cagayan and Central Luzon regions might dry up and would lead to a food crisis the next few years.

Environmentalists predicted a serious water crisis in Northern Luzon the next five years if no concrete effort is done by both government and private sectors to preserve the dwindling watersheds of upstream Cordillera.

The RDC appealed for a collaborative effort in environmental preservation and protection among the local government units of Northern and Central Luzon to maintain abundant water supply for the various river systems flowing down the agricultural lands of the North as well as instill participatory watershed management among the affected communities so that people will be provided with the real information on the negative effects of massive deforestation which is considered to be detrimental in the country’s agriculture sector. – Dexter A. See