Saturday, March 10, 2007 More farmers to engage in abaca farming: Fida By Joy Romares-Sevilla
THE regional office of the Fiber Industry Development Authority (Fida) reported that the number of abaca farmers in Davao Region is expected to increase following the agency's plan to expand production areas for open-type abaca this year.
Fida regional director Olympio Macarayan said that aside from developing more abaca areas this year, they will also develop areas for abaca nurseries for the livelihood of the region's indigenous people (IPs).
"We want to help the indigenous people to earn from abaca because in the hinterlands, this is their main source of income, abaca grows naturally in the forest," Macarayan said.
He said the program is sponsored by Davao City Councilor Leo Avila.
He said Fida and Avila are planning to develop a total of 153 hectares of abaca for the IPs this year.
Macarayan said Fida is encouraging farmers to plant abaca because of its stable buying prices.
It was learned that one of the programs of Fida is to provide clean planting materials to farmers in the region.
"Aside from that, we also conduct technical assistance depende sa request ng (depending on the request of the) barangay," Macarayan said.
He said training and seminar are very significant to abaca farmers.
"If you go on abaca farming kasi, you should know everything especially how to control and prevent the disease in abaca plant kaya kami, we advise farmers to use two bolos, yung isa para sa (the one for) healthy abaca at yung isa sa may sakit na (the other one for the unhealthy) abaca," he said.
He said an abaca farm that is hit by disease should be exposed to sunlight for a month before it will be planted again.
In Davao City, four areas are identified as good sites for abaca, namely: Toril, Paquibato, Marilog, and Tugbok district.
