By JUNE S. BLANCO
MECHANIZING rice farming is the key to better production.
Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) said mechanization is unquestionably faster than carabao farming.
He is poised to distribute Wednesday, April 8, either a floating tiller or hand tractor to selected irrigators associations to help them hasten the rice land preparation phase.
The farm implements cost a total of P1.5 million which Aumentado tapped from the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The distribution coincides with the anniversary of the Region 7 office of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) based in Tagbilaran City established by Aumentado’s namesake father and congressional predecessor, Erico Boyles Aumentado.
Expected to witness the distribution are Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization Francis Pangilinan and NIA Administrator Florencio Padernal who are the anniversary guests of honor.
Another anniversary highlight will be the launching of still another livelihood program for the irrigators associations by Aumentado – the Assistance for Rural Irrigation Sustainability (A.R.I.S.)
Aumentado said the twin moves will give the farmers more free time to engage in other activities to augment their income.
To note, he said, rice farmers have two cropping cycles a year. If they harvested in March, and planted in July, the next harvest will be in October yet. Unless they have alternate livelihood, cash will be hard to come by between harvests, Aumentado explained.
Taking cognizance of the situation compounded by the beginnings of another cycle of El Niño, the solon said he and his consultants brainstormed and sought advice from agriculture experts and came up with the A.R.I.S. program.
Details of the program and the guidelines on how the farmers can avail of the same will be given during the April 8 launch, he added.
