NOT SUGARCANE: Mayor urges farmers to plant fruit trees, veggies

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo of Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental on Thursday urged residents of upland barangays in the town to plant fruits and vegetables instead of sugarcane.

Yulo issued the call during another round of land title distribution in Sitio Mamballo, Barangay Quintin Remo where the beneficiaries are located.

The lady mayor together with Vice Mayor Ian Villaflor and some members of the municipal council and department heads went to the area on board motorcycles locally known as habal habal, which is the only mode of transportation in reaching the place.

127 farmer-beneficiaries who have been tilling the government owned agricultural land in the barangay for more than 10 years received the land titles under the Handog Titulo program of the Community Environment and Natural Resources.

Yulo told the farmer-beneficiaries that fruit trees and vegetables cost less to produce unlike sugarcane which requires a lot of capital and manpower.

She also said that trees will also preserve watershed in the area that will eventually address the water woes of the upland folks.

Yulo said that in the dialogue held before the distribution of land titles, the farmer-beneficiaries aired their problem on lack of water supply.

The lack of water will also adversely affect the growth of sugar cane unlike fruit trees and vegetables that need lesser water, the mayor said.

“Besides the price of sugar is also unstable,” she added.

Yulo said the local government can help provide fertilizer and seedlings.