DA Water Pump and Engine Interventions Help Veggie Farmers

DA Water Pump and Engine

Interventions Help Veggie Farmers 

by James Earl E. Ogatis

Mr. Rodolfo Salcedo, farmer-cooperator harvesting his organically grown tomatoes from the 1,500 square meters techno-demo farm on organic vegetable production at SitioTarog, Alaguisoc, Jordan, Guimaras. (James Earl E. Ogatis photo)

“The release of one unit water pump and engine is very timely for us to water our vegetable gardens this dry season.” Said Ms.Monaliza Galon - president of Bucao-Tarog Cluster Farmers Association (BUTACFA) located at barangay Alaguisoc, Jordan, Guimaras.

“The majority of the members of BUTACFA are rainfed rice farmers who plant rice only during rainy season. Now, these farmers plant PAKBET vegetables such as string beans, okra, ampalaya, squash, eggplant, alogbati, saluyot, patola and bell pepper”,  said Galon.  

Mr.Rodolfo Salcedo, one of the BUTACFA members said that he will be saved from manually watering his 1,500 square meters vegetable garden planted with ampalaya, alogbati, tomatoes and patola with the acquisition of waterpump and engine by their association.

He stressed, he has more time now to make fermented solutions for his organically grown vegetables because time is save from watering his plants. 

According to Galon, BUTACPA also acquired one unit hand tractor with trailer and one unit seed cleaner from the Department of Agriculture (DA) 6. DA paid 85 percent while BUTACPA paid 15 percent counterpart of the total cost of the equipment.

The association has existed for almost a decade now and is strongly gaining its momentum in providing valuable services to its members. They crafted policies in the utilization of these farm interventions by their members and non-members. 

Galon explained that these policies enable all members of the association to utilize these interventions from the DA and gain additional income.

Meanwhile, Ms. Lorna Morante, the provincial high value crops coordinator challenged the BUTACFA members to strive to become  outstanding farmer organization not only in the provincial level but to be recognized nationally. 

She said that the provincial government is ready to support any association who have good track records, innovative in adopting new technologies and open to receive responsibility in the interventions given to them. 

Morante is optimistic that BUTACFA vegetable farmers will adopt organic vegetable production technology because of the bountiful harvest of PAKBET vegetables planted in the techno-demo farm of Mr.Salcedo.

Products from the techno-demo farm are sold in the nearby San Miguel public market every Sunday and are sought after by middlemen during weekdays.

The DA has allocated the province of Guimaras a total of ten water pump and engine sets, 30 units of small farm reservoir (SFR) in 2014. /MP