DINALUPIHAN, Bataan: Rep. Maria Angela Garcia of Bataan’s 3rd District on Friday urged farmers to plant more high value vegetable crops using drip irrigation, an Israeli farm technology.
In a field trip to three farms in Barangay Daan Bago and San Simon in Dinalupihan with ready-to-harvest tomatoes, onions, and cucumber, the solon said that planting high value vegetable crops with the employment of modern farm technology will result in more supply to our food chain.
Hearing the testimonial of some farmers of their good harvest, Garcia said she hoped that the excitement of farmers in Dinalupihan will infect other farmers not only in her district and in the province but in the whole country.
Under her new congressional district are the towns of Dinalupihan, Mariveles, Bagac, and Morong. She said that while still mayor of Dinalupihan, they have piloted 10 hectares of farm in the last three years.
“Pumili muna kami ng mga magsasaka na gustong yakapin ang gusto nilang gawin at buo ang tulong na ibibigay sa kanila tulad ng financing, technology support, government support from national to local, capacity, insurance para sa gayon ay makagawa ng modelo na pwedeng i-rollout sa lahat ng mga magsasaka,” Garcia said.
She noted that the last three years were purely a labor of love because the 45 farmers involved in the first three cycles of the project did not earn much but that they did not lose hope.
“Maraming pinagdaanan pero tinest namin ang concept at nakuha namin lahat ito. Tinest namin ang technology at mukhang okay. Tinest ang pagpapalaki ng produkto, na may palpak may okay,” she recalled.
“Noong unang umani kami ay wala kaming mapagbentahan ng napakaraming ani. Noong umulan hindi lahat narekober so tinest namin at ngayon ay humanap kami at nag-pilot kami ng tatlong produkto na mayroong bibili, kikita at pagni-rollout eh di wala na tayong i-import na produkto at ang bagong pitas ay kakainin natin ng sariwang-sariwa at may surplus pa tayo. So, tayo ngayon ang mage-export,” Garcia said.
“Ito ang pangarap na kahit na medyo pagod at may kaunting iyak ay talagang nakita natin na mukhang nasa tamang direksyon tayo at nandiyan pa ang Embassy ng Israel na patuloy ang suporta sa atin dahil ito ay technology nila,” she added.
Farmer Ricky Naguiat has begun harvesting tomatoes in his 2,300-square meter farm. He said that the amount of palay he harvests in a hectare (10,000 sqm) is equivalent only to the price of tomatoes he raises in 1,000 sqm using drip irrigation.
“Halos 10 times ang inilaki ng kita namin sa kamatis kumpara sa palay,” Naguiat said.
“Marami ang napataas ang kilay dahil parang napakaimposible daw pero noong nag-rollout ito at alam ng mga pilot farmers ay talagang nakita nila ang pagkakaiba ng modernong agrikultura sa traditional farming na nakasanayan natin na mas mahirap, mas matrabaho, mas kaunti ang produksyon at mas kaunti ang kita,” Dinalupihan Mayor Herman Santos said.
“Talagang napaka-ambitious ang project pero noong dumating ang panahon na talagang nagha-harvest ng maganda lalong lalo na noong nagmahal ang presyo ng sili ay talagang tuwang- tuwa ang mga farmers,” the mayor furthered.
“Sabi nga ng isang magsasaka na habang nagpapatubig siya at nagpe-fertilizer ay nasa ilalim lang siya ng puno ng manga at papito-pito at ito ang kaibahan ng mano-mano at traditional farming kaysa modern farming,” Santos said.
The mayor said they have introduced high value vegetable crops to the farmers so they will see the difference between modern farming from the traditional one.
