Wednesday, January 17, 2007 Gov't support to farmers' alternative livelihood sought
AS FARMERS struggle to look for alternatives to sustain their livelihood, the government is being urged to further extend its support to uplift the agriculture sector.
This is premised on the fact that the farmers' shift to other forms of livelihood activities is due to the government's commitment to the free trade agreement, which made the entry of foreign crops inevitable.
In Atok, Benguet, while farmers engage in other livelihood activities, their efforts are barely enough to sustain their families.
As such, local officials appeal for government's support to these initiatives.
Mayor Concepcion Balao and Councilor Marson Lay-at called on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to provide assistance to farmers who have shifted from vegetable growing to cut-flower production.
The provision of green houses for these producers, they said, would help a lot in the production of quality cut flowers.
Balao said a considerable number of vegetable growers in the town have converted to cut-flower production, saying they get more returns of investment from flowers than vegetables.
This, she added, is due to the rampant smuggling and importation of vegetables that are similarly grown by local growers.
Atok is one of the major producers of cabbage, potato, and carrots, which are among the commodities requested by the Chinese government for market access to the country. (JC)
