Gone are the Waiting Days for farmers in AgSur town
For the longest time, farmers in Rosario, Agusan del Sur have been relying on rain to plant rice. No rain meant no crop, and no crop meant no living. The unpredictable weather made the word ‘failure’ to be a common expression of loss. Now, after long years of uncertainty, the tides are starting to favor the farmers of Limbatangan. The low rice production due to dry spells is now treated with the fountain of life, water. History of dry spells Residents of Barangay Tagbayagan, Rosario, Agusan del Sur depend on rice farming for a living. However, due to insufficient
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| June 26-July 2, 2021
water supply, farmers opted for other crops such as palm oils, coconuts, and corn despite the high production cost and hassle of transportation. “Our barangay is a rainfed area, making farmers’ rice production so low. There were times when El Nino struck, making the lands dry for a week or two and the rice plant could not survive. Most of the farmers here have abandoned their rice areas. Some planted other crops like corn or coconut. But their yield is still low due to insufficient water,” San Luis Municipal Agriculturist Delia Valenzuela recalled. Drought became the parent cause of pests like
rats and diseases in rice crops. Fertilizers could not be applied properly since water is inconsistent. With this, farmers can only crop once a year with a yield of 2.5 metric tons (mt) per hectare (ha). “We always fail and our income has been negative. Our yield was unpredictable since rain was the only basis of our farming and it would be a blessing if we can get 60 bags per hectare. Recovering from our production cost is a jackpot for us,” Fredirico Gurerro, Chairman of Limbatangan Farmers Irrigators Association said. Presently with PRDP
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