North Cotabato exec leads drive vs. rats

KABACAN, North Cotabato -- The Kabacan disaster and agriculture officials, led by Mayor Herlo Guzman, have launched Thursday morning a massive rat hunting expedition to bolster the campaign of eradicating the pests that had been destroying vast agricultural lands in this town’s nine rice and corn producing villages.The campaign includes giving of 50 kilos or one sack of rice for every 500 rat tails that the farmers could present to disaster officials, Guzman said.Guzman said the Kabacan LGU initiated this reward system to encourage farmers in the campaign to save the vast rice fields, corn fields and other high value crops, already on its vegetative stage and due for harvest next month.In nearby town of Matalam, even root vegetables like gabi” (Colocasia esculenta), both roots and leaves, growing in a marshy area, were found wilting due to extreme drought.The same problem are encountered by farmers in Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao Tedurays” farmers. The dry spell have dried up even sweet potatoes while some have been attacked by worms.In his visit last month, Agriculture Sec. Proceso Alcala, has assured of DA’s contingency plants and funds will be available to drought affected farmers.Among the mitigating measures conducted by DA is cloud seeding operation and dispersal of planting materials to affected farmers, majority of whom declared failure on its products.Farmers in Region 12 and in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are yet to receive assistance from DA as promised by Sec. Alcala.