Road to boost Apalit rice yields

Road to boost Apalit rice
yields

APALIT, Pampanga - Th production and distribution of rice in
Pampanga's rice granary in Apalit was boosted following the completion
an eight-kilometer road in two villages here that have been isolated
for many years. Balucuc Barangay Captain Gabby Mutuc said at least 70
percent of their some 10,000 residents depend on planting rice. He
added that nearby Calantipe, which has some 4,000 people, also depends
in rice production. Mutuc said the problem was they sell their
agricultural yield in Pulilan, Bulacan because it was nearer in terms
of travel time. The nearly completed road allows them to reach Apalit
town proper in about 30 minutes of land travel. They used to pass by
Pulilan and spent at least one hour and 30 minutes before reaching
Apalit's major business center. Calantipe, Balucuc and two other
nearby villages - Cansinala and Tabuyuc - are parts of the so-called
rice granary of Pampanga, said Mutuc. Mutuc said that the four
villages produce at least 628,560 cavans of palay yearly. He added
that the four Apalit villages have a combined 2,619 hectares of rice
land. "But that is just two harvests a year. We sometimes plant palay
three times a year," said Mutuc in the dialect. He added that Balucuc
is the top producer of rice among the four villages, producing some
300,000 cavans of palay per year. Apalit Mayor Oscar "Jun" Tetangco
said the farmers of the four villages will be able to sell their
harvests in their town, benefitting the local market. Tetangco said
they will also be able to buy their farming inputs and personal needs
in Apalit. He added that the people in the two villages will save time
and money in terms of transportation and travel cost. He accompanied
Gov. Lilia Pineda and Board Member Olga Frances David-Dizon on Monday
as they inspected the newly constructed road.
Pineda spoke with farmers of Calantipe and Balucuc and they spoke
about improving their yield. Pineda said she will assist the farmers
by providing them equipment and fertilizers. "We will also teach them
new technology on planting rice and other agriculture products," said
Pineda in the dialect. By: Joey Pavia

http://www.headlinegl.com/road-to-boost-apalit-rice-yields/