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Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Guv hears farmers' plight
By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
GOVERNOR Joseph Marañon signified Monday the willingness to assist farmers from Bago City and in some other localities in the 4th District for the opening of the Bago river irrigation system.
It appeared that the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has ordered the temporary closure of the facility, affecting the yield of agricultural crops, last February.
The facility is set to be opened in September yet.
The farmers have complained to the governor of the closure, fearing that they may not be able to pay their loans with the government banks and other financing companies.
Marañon said the farmers should have complained earlier so he could have asked the NIA for a move that will not adversely affect the farmers' livelihood.
"It is difficult to do an appeal if the order had already been implemented," he added.
But nevertheless, he said, he will try his very best to facilitate the complaint as way of assisting the 4th District farmers.
The farmers, in their letter to the governor, said they fear low production in the coming months because of the lack of water brought about by the closure.
Worse, they said, they will not be able to pay their loan from the bank or other financing companies due to poor harvest.
NIA, on the other hand, said the closure of the irrigation system is done every year.
"These will give us time to repair parts of the irrigation facilities," the NIA statement to the media said.
At present, more than 1,000 rice farmers are dependent on the facility. Some of the farmers are from the localities of La Carlota City, San Enrique, Pulupandan and Valladolid.
The 4th District is known be the "Rice Bowl" of Negros Occidental.
(April 18, 2006 issue)
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