Aklan farmers to stop planting rice for one season to arrest 'tungro'
KALIBO, Aklan -- Aklan farmers are mulling to stop planting rice for a cropping season to eradicate "tungro" infestation which has affected the crops of the farmers, rendering low palay harvest.
Rene Enriquez, a farmer-leader in the province said the "tungro" infestation was too much, coupled by rat attacks, that some farmers only harvested at most five cavans from a hectare of riceland this season compared with a hundred they harvested during normal cropping seasons.
Continuous rains experienced for the past months also contributed to the poor harvest of the farmers and the proliferation of "tungron".
Enriquez said the problem is not only being felt by farmers from Aklan but also by farmers in the entire Panay Island.
Agricultural leaders as well as farmers here believe that the big population of rats that swooped down the ricefields in the province was caused by their displacement when Typhoon Frank struck Aklan which destroyed their habitat.
To arrest "tungro", farmer-leaders here are suggesting the planting of corn, mongo and "pakwan" this coming cropping season. It was also suggested that the NIA stop for the meantime the delivery of water to ricefields so farmers in irrigated areas would not plant. There were reservations, however about this option as subsistent farmers relying on their harvest for their household consumption in rainfed areas would continue planting out of necessity.
This issue was tackled during the meeting of the Local Price Coordinating Council (LPCC). It was suggested by the members that the Provincial Development Council (PDC) should be convened to take up this matter and plan solutions as well as measures to cushion the impact of this latest concern. ‑
In the wake of this prevailing concern, the National Food Authority (NFA) gave the assurance that the food agency has enough rice supply to last for more than two months. (PIA)