NI NOEL ABUEL
Nanawagan ang isang kongresista sa administrasyong Marcos na iprayoridad ang pest management ng Department of Agriculture (DA) sa gitna ng balitang nagkakaroon ng kakapusan ng supply ng sibuyas sa bansa at patuloy na pag-atake ng peste sa mga magsasaka sa Hilagang Luzon.
Ayon kay Albay, 2nd district Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, chairman ng House Ways and Means, isa sa mas matagumpay na mga programa ng agrikultura ng bansa ang integrated pest management na flagship program ng DA.
“Integrated pest management will be the new normal in climate change. As temperatures rise and climate conditions change, some pests will breed faster and become more resistant. Agriculturists in North Luzon are already pointing out that pests like armyworms are becoming stronger every season, because of, not despite pesticides,” sabi ni Salceda.
“So, I am recommending to the DA that we classify integrated pest management as a flagship program of the DA, so that it’s not buried as just one small program under the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI),” paliwanag pa ng mambabatas.
Aniya, ang integrated pest management ay ang paggamit ng mga paraan, kabilang ang multicropping, biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, at paggamit ng resistant varieties upang makontrol at maiwasan ang pamemeste.
Ilan sa rekomendasyon ni Salceda ang pagkakaroon ng isang farm school na magbibigay ng integrated pest management sa bawat probinsya at masiguro na ang lahat ng municipal agriculturists ay nasasanay at magtuturo sa mga magsasaka sa usapin ng integrated pest management.
Paliwanag pa ni Salceda na sa mga pag-aaral, ang integrated pest management ang dahilan upang makaiwas sa malaking gastos ang mga magsasaka sa pesticides at lumaki ang kita ng mga ito.
“There is strong evidence to suggest that the first integrated pest management school in 1994 helped its farmer beneficiaries reduce pesticide costs,” sabi nito.
“This year’s infestation appears to be growing worse, and could approach 2016 levels. That was also one year when onion smuggling got so bad, we passed a law declaring large-scale agri smuggling as economic sabotage,” dagdag pa nito.
“I think fighting infestation will be the new normal. In the South, we tend to suffer from viruses on our rice, bananas, and other crops. So, it’s going to be a continuing national challenge. That’s why it needs to be a flagship program,” ayon pa kay Salceda.
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