NAVAL, Biliran, April 9 (PIA) – With the ultimate goal of augmenting the income and uplifting the economic status of fish and agri farmers in the municipality of Naval, its local government unit (LGU) urged them to use new farm equipment and implements at a much lesser cost.
Naval Municipal Agriculture Officer Nascencia Abad, disclosed in a recent interview that the LGU now owns one unit four-wheel tractor which is capable of plowing and harrowing plantation areas and paddies in a shorter period of time and lesser cost as compared to manual farming. It is capable of plowing and harrowing two hectares of farmland in a day.
The equipment is rented out at P500 a day exclusive of gasoline and meals however for the tractor operator.
Aside from the four-wheel tractor, there is also one unit cultivator which is capable of making plots ready for planting in small planting areas and one unit corn sheller, which could be accessed by the farmer here, the report added.
The farmers' equipment were given by the Department of Agriculture (DA) through Secretary Proceso Alcala in his recent visit to Naval last October as an aid to farmers who were victims of typhoon Yolanda, Abad informed.
She added that another two units of portable corn mills were donated to the LGU by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for farmer-victim of typhoon Yolanda.
The portable corn mill can be transported to areas in that are in need of the mill such that corn farmers need not go to far-flung areas such as Kawayan, Cabucgayan, and the mainland of Leyte facing Biliran province where corn mills are available. Milling charge is also much lesser at P3/kilo than other commercial millers at P10/kilo.
Naval LGU imposes reasonable charges for the maintenance of the said farm implements and ensures that all farmer-victims can avail of its services.
Aside from the cost-efficient farm implements and equipment, LGU-Naval is also pushing for organic farming, by availing the carbonized rice hull, vermicast, and foliar fertilizer that are on sale at LGU-Naval, Abad said. (aen/fj/mlt/PIA8 Biliran)