Tabuk City, Kalinga - Hundreds of rice farmers in the western section of the Tabuk Valley are forced to plant other crops this cropping season due to damages in the irrigation canals wrought by recent typhoons. Despite assurances from the local NIA the damaged portions will be repaired by March, many farmers in the 720-hectare farmland have already planted corn, mongo and other crops that do not need much water.
NIA Irrigation Superintendent John Socalo said that repair work is now being done on the washed out section of the canal at Calanan estimated to cost P14M and the damaged siphon at Tuga which is estimated to cost P1.8M with the target date of completion of both projects in March.
"The local dry season cropping is from December to June so if the water becomes available in March, they could plant early maturing rice," Socalo said.
But according to Rodolfo Madarang, barangay captain of Cabaritan, one of the affected areas, farmers in his barangay have already planted corn and mongo because of the observation that rice planted late in the cropping season are likely to be attacked by tungro and ulmog, two local rice diseases.
Sangguniang panlungsod member Lester Lee Tarnate said that farmers in Lanna where he resides have also planted corn except for those within the 50 hectare area watered by a communal irrigation system.
Meanwhile, Socalo has announced that NIA is now accepting applicants for the new incentive package in the payment of arrears in irrigation service fees (ISF) which was launched last year by the NIA after the timetable of the Compromise Agreement Program. The first incentive scheme for delinquent farmers, lapsed the year before.
Socalo said that of the 1,500 local farmers who availed of the CAP, only 176 fully paid while 943 partially paid. The remaining 381 did not touch their arrears at all.
Unlike the CAP which fully condones interest of arrears, the new incentive policy will compute the interest until the farmer avails of the program. Both incentive programs compute the arrears based on the National Food Authority support price at the time of billing.
"After computation of what is due from the farmer, an arrangement could be struck wherein the farmer will pay the obligation in seven installments," Socalo said, adding that interested farmers should visit his office for the details of the new incentive package.
Socalo also warned ISF delinquents that according to MC 79, series of 2007, this new incentive program is the last chance for them to pay their arrears and those who fail to take advantage of the program to be taken to court by the NIA.
Socalo said that in the Tabuk Valley 60 percent of the more or less 6.000 farmers are hardcore delinquents or pay their ISF erratically while only 40 percent pay their ISF regularly.
Over in Quezon, Isabela which forms part of the NIA-Chico River Irrigation System, the proportion is reversed. **by Estanislao Albano Jr.
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