‘Alarm up’ for declining number of Ubi growers

The slackening number of farmers engaged in farming ubi and other crops has alarmed not only the agricultural stakeholders but also the local government officials.

Anda Mayor Angelina “Inday” Simacio expressed apprehension during the regular meeting of the Bohol Ubi Growers Association (BUGA) held at the Livelihood Training Center, Poblacion, Anda last Wednesday. She said, “what would happen amid such problem if the demand for agricultural products shoots up considering the increase in population and the anticipated influx of tourists”.

Mayor Simacio said she remembered in 2009 and 2010 wherein her town was called “Ubi King” of which trucks of ubi tubers were brought by Magnolia.

But now, she said, she could not even see Andahanons selling Ubi product in the market.

The mayor bared that during the consultative meeting conducted with the farmers they have known that most of the youth are now working at the 29 resorts in Anda and no longer engage in farming and the existing farmers are already aging.

Simacio thanked BUGA and the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) that their town was the venue of the regular meeting to encourage the people of Anda to improve the Ubi industry and engage in farming.

Eleno L. Evangelista, head, promotion section agribusiness division, OPA in his statement of purpose explained that the regular meeting of BUGA will be conducted every other month at different towns  who have BUGA members to promote and strengthen the ubi industry, to recruit for membership and to give updates  on the submitted resolutions or requests to the concerned  government agencies from the association.

Evangelista said the PGBh has no letting up on interventions and free services to the farmers and to uplift  their way of living.

On her part, Laila Bernido, head, marketing section, agribusiness division of the OPA encouraged the BUGA members to become businessmen or entrepreneurs in their own field.

She said there is business in agriculture that really changed the lives of the farmers.

In the meeting proper,Floriano Gamay, BUGA president urged the BUGA members to recruit in their respective locality to augment BUGA membership.

The BUGA members also shared technical knowledge on ubi farming  which would be possibly adopted by other Ubi growers.

The next BUGA meeting is scheduled on August 22, 2018 in the town of San Isidro Bohol. (Atoy Cosap)