Carabaos regain active role in Isabela farming

ILAGAN, Isabela – More and more farmers are going back to basic farming techniques with the use of carabaos in this top rice and corn producing province. Farmers here are complaining of the spiraling cost of fuel that they have actually turned into using the beast of burden once again in the production of rice and corn. “Farm implements that run on gasoline take the back seat as the farmer’s most reliable ally takes center stage in rice production,” farmer Tata Sildo, an 80-year-old farmer from Santiago City, said in Ilocano. Isabela Representative Giorgidi Aggabao said the use of carabao in farm preparations “makes a lot of sense, in fact the government should foster the use of other indigenous, cheap and abundant materials that are readily available to counter the high cost of fuel.” “This is an expected reaction from our farmers because they cannot meet anymore the financial demands of land preparation, the cost of gasoline is eating away at their projected incomes,” said Dr Danilo Tumamao, provincial agriculture officer. Tumamao said basic farming techniques do not affect the volume of farm outputs since the amount of rice planted and the technologies for upgraded production are already in place. Farmers here are actually pleased over the idea of using carabaos again since they are durable and maintenance-free. With better farm-to-market roads, they will be reliable in the transport of produce from the farm to market, and just like the olden times, they are a cost-free form of moving people from one place to another. Agricultural technicians here said that aside from its economic benefits, using carabaos is also environmentally friendly as this would help lessen the consumption of gasoline whose price in the world market is steadily increasing. In recent years, because of its waned popularity in farm use, carabao meat has acquired a new role from work animal to substitute for beef and pork because it is cheaper and tastier. This led to the establishment of commercial carabao raising in the towns of Tumaini, San Pablo and Cabagan in the northern part of Isabela. - GMANews.TV