SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro (PIA) – To celebrate the good harvest of onions this year, the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) of Magsaysay conducted the first onion harvest festival at Nico Busto Farm, Sitio Tinawagan, Brgy. Poblacion.
In his address delivered by Ryan Satoquia, House Rep. Leody F. Tarriela recognized the efforts of the farmers and their part in food security in the country as the province is hailed as the second top producer of onion next to Nueva Ecija.
“Ang onion festival na ginagawa natin ngayon ay pagkilala sa industriya ng pagsisibuyas dito sa bayan ng Magsaysay at pagbibigay-pugay sa mga magsasaka na dugo’t pawis ang puhunan para masigurado na sapat na ani na isusuplay [na sibuyas] sa iba’t ibang probinsya sa bansa (This onion festival is done to recognize the onion industry in Magsaysay and acknowledge the efforts of the farmers who invested extensive labor to ensure enough supply of onions for other provinces in the country),” Tarriela said.
To further support the onion farmers, he said that their office will implement programs such as farm mechanization, developing farm-to-market roads, and provision of planting materials this year and in the following years with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to strengthen the onion industry.
Senior Agriculturist Florence Limos reported the MAO’s interventions for the onion farmers this planting season. This includes 4,306 cans of seeds worth P7.6 million, foliar fertilizers, armyworm traps, and technical training. Farmers were also enrolled to Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation as a safety net when an unforeseen emergency hits the farmers’ crops.
Limos added that through the interventions, the onion growers will become empowered as its production is seen as a potential way for economic progression for the farmers.
Eden Frange, farmer from Sibalat, shared that the interventions provided by the MAO helped reduce their production cost.
“[Nakabawas sa gastos namin] kasi imbis na bibili pa kami ng mga fertilizer [at] binhi, nakatipid kami. Maganda ang ani [namin ngayon], doble ang kinita namin (Our expenses were lessened and we were able to save money because we did not need to buy fertilizers and seeds. Our harvest is bountiful this time, our earnings doubled),” she explained.
During the event, each farmer present was given a can of 400 grams onion seeds, totaling to 180 beneficiaries.
Also present during the activity were representatives from the local government unit (LGU) led by Mayor Cesar M. Tria Jr., and DA Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer Eddie D. Buen, (DSG/PIA OccMin)
Some 180 farmers were given a can of onion seeds by the Municipal Agriculture Office at the conclusion of the onion harvest festival.
