Farmers group calls for moratorium on land rents
A militant farmers group has called on local government units and land owners in Western Visayas to implement a moratorium on collecting land rents for at least a year in areas hit by strong winds and heavy flooding in the region.
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas said the moratorium should be implemented to allow the farmers to recover from the damage wrought by continuous rains that have triggered flashfloods and landslides.
"The most humane thing to do is for a land rent moratorium and a debt relief for at least a year can also be done to ease the burden for farmers, so that they can concentrate on finding ways to replant their crops, without worrying too much that their debt is increasing by the day," said Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano who is also KMP chair.
Mariano also called on LGUs to give relief and support services to farmers like seedlings and credit incentives to help them recover from the damage.
He noted that at least P20.2 million worth of crops were destroyed by floods in Negros Occidental alone, while Antique, Iloilo and Guimaras were also badly hit.
The Bureau of Agriculture Statistics earlier placed damage to crops in the region at P6 million. This includes around 1,700 hectares of rice lands, equivalent to 596 metric tons of rice.