Crop failure and bankruptcy threaten farmers
Wake-uppers:
Scene: Former Cabinet Secretary and Bohol
gubernatorial candidate Leoncio Evasco, Jr, said that the visit ofHugpong ng
Pagbabago (HNP) head Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio last Wednesday, March
20, affirmed the support of the Duterte family in his
candidacy. “Kining pag-anhi ni Inday Duterte nagsuporta kini
sa atong lantaw nga makab-ot nato ang kalinaw sa probinsya, makab-ot
nato ang pagsulbad sa droga ug paghunong sa korupsyon nga maoy naglaganap diri
sa atong probinsya karun,” said Evasco. Carpio said Evasco, who was
serving his father for a long time, was the choice. “We support
him in his campaign and candidacy as governor of Bohol,” Carpio said. Evasco is
running against former Agriculture Secretary and outgoing Bohol 3rd district
Rep. Art Yap. Boy Pernia, campaign manager of Rep. Erico Aristotle
Aumentado, said that there were at least 14,000 people who attended the event.
Scene: Leon Flores III, erstwhile chairman of the
National Youth Commission (NYC) on Wow Pilipinas partylist:Wow Pilipinas is the
leading tourism sector partylist and advocacy in the Philippines which
champions opportunities and job creation through sustainable, quality, and
modern tourism development and local community empowerment. “When we speak of
tourism, it’s not all just about statistics of visitors or the means to entice
them to be here. It is more important to include sustainable strategies to
advance a balanced tourism agenda for people, profit, and planet,” said Patty
Keng, the party’s first nominee.
***
Farmer Joseph Osorio was eagerly waiting for rains
expected to be dumped by Typhoon Chedeng last week, hoping that these would
finally bring relief to his parched farm.
While it had rained in Jagna town, they experienced only
a drizzle.
 |
| Crop failure and bankruptcy threaten farmers as the dry spell caused by the El Niño phenomenon grips in Bohol province. Nilo Bulag shows a not fully developed eggplant which was affected by the hot temperature in his farm in Jagna town, Bohol province. Photo by Leo Udtohan |
Osorio, 60, had to water his cabbage twice a day on an
8,000-square-meter farm lot at Sitio Labo in Barangay Boctol.
Osorio said he started planting cabbage last February and
he would wait till May for the harvest.
He fetched water from the reservoir in the barangay which
he pays P20 per cubic meter. The water is sourced out from a stream which the
water level has dwindled.
“Minipis na ang tubig. Kung makuwaan namo og
dili lang jud siya mahubas maka-harvest pa mi taman sa May. Kay
first week sa May puhon maluoy ang Ginoo maka-harvest naman mi (The water is
drying up. If there is enough water, through God’s mercy, we can have a harvest
in the first week of May),” he said.
The village of Boctol in Jagna town is one of the places
where residents grow vegetables including the neighboring mountain towns of
Sierra Bullones, Duero and Guindulman.
Osorio said he lifted up the fate of his crops to G-d. If
it does not rain in April, Osorio said he would not have a good harvest by May.
“Kung pagka- Abril og pananglitan mahubas na ang tubig
failure na. Wala na mi mahimo kay nakaplastar nami mao lang
amumahan. Pagbuot sa Ginoo kung tagaan mi grasya o dili (If in April
the water dries up, it would be a failure. We can’t do anymore but water the
remaining crops to save it. It’s up to G-d if these remaining crops can
survive),” he said.
Osorio said he knew about the El Niño advisory last year
but he had no option but to plant vegetables for survival.
“Pero wala mi laing pangita. Ang amo, paswerte nalang,
kumbaga ang Ginoo nalang ang muantigo muhatag og grasya namo. Kung
failure, failure. Naanad nami ma- failure basta El Niño (I don’t have other
source of livelihood. As for me, it is just a matter of luck. It’s up to God if
he would give us blessings. If it’s a failure, it’s a failure. We are used into
this during El Nino),” he said.
 |
| Vegetable production in some towns in Bohol province is also affected by the mild El Niño phenomenon that farmer Joseph Osorio waters his cabbage in Barangay Boctol in Jagna town to save the crops from further damage. Photo by Leo Udtohan |
During good harvest, he said he could sell 3,000 kilos of
cabbage for P20 per kilo.
The extreme heat also damaged the one-hectare farm of
eggplant of Nilo Bulag in the adjacent village of Mayana.
Bulag, 50, said he was hoping to see rain
clouds. The intense heat damaged his plantation. Those that survived
did not grow as big.
Leaf miners also attacked his eggplants which some failed
to fully develop.
The hot weather is also hurting his bell peppers. The
tender, warm-season crops were not spared by the excessive heat.
His crops, however, were not insured by the Philippine
Crop Insurance Corporation.
Bulag said he was expecting a huge financial loss. He
said the family have no savings to cover the loss.
Asked what he would do, Bulag just smiled.
“Mag-ampo nalang jud (I just pray),” he said.
During good harvest, Bulag said he sells his crops along
the road. Sometimes, vendors buy in bulk and sell the crops in the town proper
and in the capital city of Tagbilaran.
He said vegetable farming is where he gets money to
support his children who are in college.
“Naanad nako. Ikadaghan na. Naanad nako dili
ka harvest (I am used to it. It happened many times. I am used into it that I
can’t have a good harvest),” he said.
For farmers, the dry spell is a major source of stress as
their livelihoods and communities depend on the weather.
Some farmers are facing crop failure and bankruptcy as
the dry weather due to El Niño phenomenon strengthens its grip.
But the hot temperature is yet in sight.
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