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Friday, April 28, 2006
Coco farmers unite v. aerial spraying
By Jeff M. Tupas
DAVAO CITY -- Coconut farmers from seven villages of Baguio and Calinan districts are now one in demanding an end to the aerial spraying practiced of banana plantations in their villages as they blame the widely criticized spraying method to the decrease in their yield.
Jun Alcomendras, a barangay councilman in Wangan, said at least 60 percent of the coconut farmers in the village have suffered economic loss after their crop was attacked by rhinobeetles.
The infestation, Alcomendras said, can only be blamed to the aerial spraying practice of banana plantation knowing how the synthetic chemicals used in the aerial spraying affect the natural balance of plants, pest and insects in the farmlands.
This claim was also backed by the environmental non-government organization Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (Idis).
The group found out that because of synthetic chemical used in aerial spraying, a fungus that preys on the beetle are eradicated thus the explosion of the beetle's population.
"The unnatural proliferation of the beetles came because of the destruction of the balance in the environment. Studies showed that a fungus called GSM, which is the number one enemy of the beetles, are eradicated because of aerial spraying," said Ann Fuertes, Idis environmental research specialist.
Banana plantations practice aerial spraying to control sigatoka, a fungus that affects the leaves of the banana plants. The chemical used in the practice is Dithane, which contains Mancozeb, a chemical listed by the state of California as cancer-causing.
But while the deadly chemical destroys the real target, other fungus is also affected by it.
"Synthetic chemicals are not selective. While they hit their target, they also leave collateral damage not only to other organisms, which are in fact considered environmental friendly but also to human and to the environment in general," Fuertes said.
As environmentalists all over the world celebrated the Earth Day last Saturday, coconut farmers from the villages of Wangan, Sirib, Tamayong, Dacudao, Balengaeng in Calinan District and Daliaon in Toril District put up an alliance called the Mamamayang Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying or Maas (Toughie).
In Subasta, the incensed farmers also formed the group Bantay Kabuhayan at Kalikasan or Bakal (steel).
Precioso Yap, Bakal chair, said that their agony started in 2001 immediately after aerial spraying has been conducted in their village.
Yap used to harvest more than 3,000 nuts per harvest but now he would only average about 1,500 nuts per harvest.
"Losing gyud kaayo. Na-obserbahan man gyud namo ang kadaut. Sa dihang nagsugod na sila ug aerial spray, nagsugod na pud ug kaputol ang mga udlot sa among mga lubi, mikunhod gyud ang among abot nga hasta gyud nakaaperkto sa among panginabuhi," Yap said.
Because of this, he said, they are demanding a stop to the practice and calls on the authorities to back their demand.
The Maas, in a position paper, also urged Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to act on their concern appropriately.
The group said that the effects of aerial spraying were not only observed in the coconut trees, but also in other plants and vegetables. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(April 28, 2006 issue)
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