Gov vows ‘full attention to agriculture programs

By Mar T. Supnad

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan-Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. has vowed to give full attention to the province’s agriculture program specifically in the areas of irrigation, fertilizers and seed subsidy to further improve the agricultural production of the marginalized farmers.

This was the assurance made by the governor during the consultation dialogue with various irrigators’ and farmers’ associations in the province held at the Provincial Training and Development Center as he added that after laying the foundation, his administration will now set its sights to boost province’s agricultural state.

Espino said the provincial government is at present awaiting report from the National Irrigation Administration regarding the state of the province’s communal irrigation system.

“Ginawa po namin itong request sa NIA at siguro by next week may report na sila para malaman naming kung papaano kami papasok at papaano matugunan ang problema sa patubig,” Gov. Espino said.

The governor said that more than anything, Pangasinan needs irrigation since there are approximately 180,000 hectares of land in the province that can be planted with crops. Likewise, he stressed that the best way to start the cropping season is during summer when the weather is dry.

“Una nating bibigyan pansin ang patubig kapag ginawa natin ito sapagkat sa panahon ng tag-init wala pong mga bagyo, mainit ang panahon kaya kakailanganin ang irigasyon at gagawan natin ng paraan ito,” he added.

It will be recalled that the present administration has earlier distributed water pumps to farmers and irrigators associations throughout Pangasinan last year to partly address irrigation insufficiency in the province.

Another agricultural breakthrough initiated by the provincial government in coordination with the Abono Party List,Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Training Institute and the Bureau of Plant Industry was the distribution of some 2,500 sacks of certified seeds to Pangasinense farmers all over the province only last week.

The distribution was under the accelerated certified seeds and production project aimed at revolutionizing agricultural development in Pangasinan as well as increasing the income of farmers. Said sacks of seeds contain RC 222, a high yielding variety of palay.

Aside from farming, the Governor advised the farmers to avail of the provincial government’s livelihood assistance program that provides livelihood loans to marginalized sectors specifically to women’s groups and other livelihood organizations for goat and cattle-raising.

Some 700 farmers and irrigators attended the second batch of dialogue with farmers organized by the provincial government.