SAMAL, Bataan: Farmers in Bataan on Wednesday welcomed the desire of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to increase rice production that they said could easily be done as long as government give full support to them.
Most of them asked government to fully subsidize their requirements for diesel and fertilizers and if done, they saw no problem in rice production.
Rudy Bugay who tills 2.5 hectares of land in Samal, Bataan even said that there is no rice shortage in the country with the vast experience of local farmers already knowing what to do but what is lacking is government support.
Bugay wanted government to subsidize diesel and fertilizers. “Dapat may counterpart ang gobyerno na kahit hindi na kalahati ay one-fourth man lamang na tulong sa pataba at krudo ay masisiyahan na ang magsasaka.”
He said that he used to spend for commercial fertilizers at P12,000 per hectare but the amount has more than doubled and his expenses presently reached P32,000. The price of commercial fertilizers, he said, increased from P1,000 a bag to more than P3,000.
“Mas maganda nga kung gubyerno na ang magpo-provide ng pataba. Kapag ginawa ito, mago-over production tayo,” Bugay said.
“Ang sinasabi ng Pangulong Marcos na palalakasin ang rice production ay madaling gawin dahil may utak naman ang mga magsasakang Filipino at magaling sa diskarte kaya nga lang kulang ng suporta ng gubyerno talaga,” he said.
“Dapat talaga unang-una i-subsidize ang gastos ng mga magsasaka tapos talagang tingnan natin at huwag nang gamitin ang importation palagi.” Bugay said.
He said that rice importation has a big effect on them because palay price in the country goes down while expenses go up.
Bugay said that aside from the subsidy on fertilizers, they also need subsidy for diesel of waterpumps that most farmers in Samal town use in irrigating their ricelands.
He recommended that government build solar-run waterpumps instead of providing diesel-fed waterpumps so that more farmers will benefit. “Sa halip na waterpump na de krudo ay solar ang itayo ng gubyerno para sa patubig ng mga magsasaka.”
Bugay also asked that government provide solar dryers and not ask farmer’s organizations to provide a lot where to locate the dryer. He said that farmers own no lot to provide as counterpart, mostly being tenants.
“Bakit hindi na lang ang gubyerno ang magpatayo ng dryer halimbawa sa isang barangay o bayan at hindi na yong hihiling pa ng lote kaya walang kumukuha ng dryer. Dapat hindi na mapagsamantalahan ng mga pribadong may ari ng dryer ang magsasaka na sinisingil ng P140 isang sako ng palay na ibibilad,” Bugay said.
Farmer Narciso Vicente said they will be very happy if given enough subsidy for fertilizers. “Sana dagdagan pa ang fertilizer subsidy dahil malaking tulong ito sa mga magsasaka lalo na ngayong mahirap ang buhay.”
“Sa sinasabing utos ng bagong Pangulo na palakasin ang rice production, ito ang dapat na tuunan ng pansin at talagang bigyan ng pansin ang mga magsasaka,” Vicente who cultivates a two-hectare farm said.
Delia Mojica, farmer’s wife from barangay Sta. Lucia in Samal, wished that they be given full subsidiy in fertilizers. She said that presently, they consume in their one hectare-riceland fertilizers worth more than P20,000
She said commercial fertilizers are very costly and presently cost from P2,700 to more than P3,000 a bag.
“Gusto ko lahat libre para makabawi naman kami. Panay talo na ang magsasaka sa taas ng bilihin,” Mojica appealed. (30)
