San Fabian farmers get fertilizer, corn seeds
SAN FABIAN—Farmers here received fertilizers and corn seeds as part of a program to boost food production in the Fourth District of Pangasinan.
The 6,500 bags of fertilizers, distributed by Rep. Gina de Venecia last Tuesday, were funded partly by the excise tax on tobacco that San Fabian earned being one of the largest producers of burley tobacco in the province.
De Venecia and Ponciano Onia, president of Abono, earlier signed a partnership agreement committing to support the massive planting of corn after the rice season in the district.
This agreement is intended to make corn a secondary food crop in the province.
De Venecia said she aims to transform the district into one of the food baskets in Pangasinan, planting cash crops like rice, corn, vegetables and burley tobacco.
Other congresswomen who vowed to help in the renewed planting of corn are Rep. Rachel Arenas of the Third District, Kimi Cojuangco of the Fifth, and Marlyn Primicias Agabas of the Sixth.
CROP INSURANCE
Meanwhile, De Venecia apprised farmers and barangay officials about her proposed bill, the Crop Insurance Protection Act, in the House of Representatives.
If her bill becomes a law, farmers and fishermen around the country can have their agricultural production insured against natural calamities such as typhoons and floods.
Other bills filed by De Venecia include the construction of a fish port in Dagupan to complement the new Seafood Processing Plant in barangay Bonuan Binloc and the planting of bamboos in riverbanks to cushion erosion.
She has also allocated P26 million from her Priority Development Assistance Fund for the construction of a slope protection at the Abeloleng River where several houses were swept away in Barangay Binday, San Fabian during the most recent typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel”.
