By Sarwell Meniano/PNA
TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Agriculture (DA) will tap young people in Samar Island, especially agriculture graduates, to operate and manage fleets of machinery and equipment to modernize its agriculture practices.
“The involvement of young Samareños, particularly agriculture graduates, appears to be the only hope for this island to develop its agriculture as older farmers here seem to resist innovations in agriculture,” DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said in a statement posted on his social media account Tuesday.
The official, who visited the flood-hit town of Jipapad, Eastern Samar Monday afternoon, noted that farmers prefer to use “Kuliglig” (hand tractor) over a modern tractor with plow and rotavator.
“They were also inclined to use their traditional ‘payatak’ method of farming marked by very poor land preparation resulting to very low yields of only two metric tons or less,” he added. “Payatak” is a traditional practice of stomping the feet on paddies to make the field ready for planting.
Under the mechanization program for young farmers, the DA will invite the youth of Samar to organize themselves into groups of at least 30 members.
Once organized, they will be trained in operating farm machinery and equipment and on financial literacy. They will also undergo basic training on rice farming.
After the training, the DA Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) will grant them a loan package for them to be able to acquire machinery and equipment like tractors, planters and harvesters. The loan is payable in eight years with two percent interest per year.
“Operating as service providers, they will be tasked to develop farms in their respective towns and will get paid for their farm services,” Piñol added.
Payment of services is assured considering that farm owners will be granted a loan under the production loan easy access, according to the DA chief.
“This program is expected to fast-track the development of agriculture in Samar and provide jobs to young college graduates.”
Interested youth in Samar are encouraged to visit the DA regional office in Tacloban City.
