Farmers launch NegOr wide anti-poverty campaign
By ED SESTOSO
Militant farmers throughout Negros Oriental are now simultaneously launching the anti-poverty campaign calling on government officials to their rescue due to the many problems it faces brought about by the food crisis.
Fermin Lorico, chairperson of the District Farmers Alliance said that they will be all out in calling from the barangay officials up to the top provincial officials in seeking intervention to their present hardships and plight as generally farmers are experiencing right now.
“Labaw kaming nakasinati ug kalisud ug kagutom karon tungod sa grabeng pagsaka sa presyo sa mga batakang panginahanglananon” said Lorico in a statement sent to various media outlets in the city.
They are now launching also a petition signing calling on local government units to provide subsidy to rice and fertilizers due to the hardships that they are facing right now.
Lorico blames the lack of agricultural lands that should have been tilled by the farmers had contributed to the present food crisis.
The militant leader said that this is aside from the fact the national government continues to implement trade liberalization, privatization and deregulation since the year 1980’s as culprits of the present rice crisis.
DFA is an affiliate of the provincial wide militant Kapunungan Alang sa Ugma sa Gagmayng Mag-uuma sa Oriental Negros (KAUGMAON) which is also a member organization of the nationwide Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).
Lorico said that they have to launch this campaign of calling on local government units for subsidy to stave of hunger and can cope up with the next harvest season.
Lorico it was only August of last year, where farmers had what is called good harvest.
But the next succedding months until the present, the farmers had been at the losing end due to the high cost of production.
“Gawas sa kakulang sa yuta, ang kamahal sa binhi,, abono ug uban pang gikinahanglang farm inputs ang hinungdan sa ubos nga producktibidad”Lorico further elaborated.
He said if there was any farmer from their group who was able to harvest it returns back to answer the basic needs and it is not even enough .
In their petition signing, they called on the local authorities to provide them with farm input subsidy like fre fertilizer as an answer to the skyrocketing prices of production inputs.
They also called on the government for what they called as food subsidy particularly rice or corn to stave off hunger that has affected their families.
Other groups joining the campaign are the Nagkaiusang Mag-uuma sa Manjuyod (NAMAMA), Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa Sta. Catalina (NAMSCA), Siaton Farmers Organization (SIAFO) and Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa Bayawan and the District Farmers Alliance.
The farmers groups are all under the proivincewide KAUGMAON.
Lorico explained that the subsidies will help tide them of additional cost and if ever there are some savings could be sued to answer the needs of their respective families moreso that enrollment of classes if forthcoming.
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Wed May 21, 2008 9:43 pm