RIZAL, Kalinga (PIA) — The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Kalinga has started implementing a contract farming program for farmers or irrigator-groups to help bring down production costs and, at the same time, allow them to earn more.
This was revealed by NIA-Kalinga acting division manager Ferdinand A. Indammog following the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the NIA and the irrigators associations (IAs) in Kalinga and Isabela located within the Upper Chico River Irrigation System (UCRIS).
Under the agreement, the government will distribute farm inputs as well as access to technology and financing to irrigators.
Indammog said farmer-beneficiaries/IAs will be given P50,000-worth of farm inputs such as rice seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides per hectare per cropping season. They will receive a compensation of P50,000 if they can deliver a minimum production target of five metric tons or at least 100 sacks of palay per hectare after the harvest. Excess production of the target will be at the disposal of the IAs.
Through this arrangement, farmers/IAs gain “stability by knowing exactly who will buy their rice harvest, eliminating the uncertainties of finding buyers,” according to the NIA-Cordillera. This also enables the government to provide more affordable rice to consumers.
The nine IAs that signed with NIA-CAR for the contract farming program during its launching on May 28 were Pangul Quintin Vicente FIA of Rizal, Kalinga; and Minagbag FIA, Lower Quezon Main Canal FIA, Lebamar IA, Ortiz Buma-a IA, South Eastern Quezon Main Canal FIA, Abut Santos FIA, Curiwet Banaba FIA in Quezon and Holama FIA in Mallig, all in Isabela.
Jeferson Laureta, irrigators development officer of the NIA-Kalinga ,informed that this contract farming program is implemented for the third cropping season covering 246 hectares, and with a total funding of P24.6 million.
The farmer-beneficiaries said the program is advantageous to them citing that they sometimes have to resort to borrowing money to buy farm inputs especially when they have low production in a previous cropping season.
“Mayat met kanyami nga medyo agkurkurang ti financial. Kasi nu mabitin ti apit, kapilitan nga
umut-utang kami,” said Felix Bayed, 60, who is farming two hectares in Rizal.
[It’s helpful for us who are financially strapped. If our harvest is not sufficient, we are force to loan.]
“Mayat met ta han mi problemaenen ti pagalaan,”[It’s good since we no longer have to worry where to get the resources] echoed Armando Basa, 54, a member of Pangul Quintin Vicente FIA.
He said the provision of farm inputs is helpful since it removes the burden of paying for interest on loaned farm inputs. (Iryll Sicnao-PIA Kalinga)
