A PHP30-million farm facility maintained and funded by the local government unit (LGU) here is now serving the rice farmers in the town and nearby areas in the province.

The three-hectare Kitcharao LGU Farm in Sitio Lapucon, Barangay Crossing houses the Municipal Agricultural Manpower and Development Center.

The center, situated more than a kilometer from the town center, consists of a one-hectare rice production area and a 2,000-square-meter fishpond for tilapia production.

A vegetable production area, goat multiplier, slaughterhouse, and native chicken multiplier can also be found at the farm.

“Kitcharao is an agricultural town where farmers rely on coconut and rice farming. This farm is dedicated to helping our rice farmers to practice integrated rice farming,” said Raul del Agua, the municipal agriculturist.

Model farm

The farmland was purchased in 2004 but was only developed through funding by the LGU in 2016 after an access road was established from the town center.

“Mayor Jenry Montante wants this area to become a model farm, not only in Kitcharao but also to the farmers in nearby towns in the province,” del Agua said.

He added that the purchase of the farmland was made during the incumbency of Vice Mayor Aristotle Montante when he was the mayor of the town.

“As a training center, we want our rice farmers to go away with mono-cropping to help increase their income and provide them more sources of food through integrated farming,” del Agua said.

Local rice farmers are offered free training on goat, hog, and native chicken production, as well as vegetable production, which are considered components of integrated farming.

The training is supported by the Agricultural Training Institute and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Likewise, the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources provide the facility with technologies and support stocks in terms of goats, chicken, and tilapia fingerlings.

Farm technologies

Last year, about 200 rice farmers were trained in separate sessions at the facility on updated farming technologies and integrated farming systems with a focus on backyard goat, hog, native chicken, and vegetable production.

For this year, 100 farmers have undergone the same training sessions while 100 more are scheduled in the coming months.

Ricky Montefalcon, 31, a rice farmer from Barangay Crossing, was able to avail of the integrated farming training this year.

“The training gave me the idea to expand my farming, not only on rice but also in vegetables. I am also engaged in hog and chicken backyard production,” he said.

Del Agua said the LGU is also inviting rice farmers from neighboring towns to visit the farm facility and join the free training.

The town has 3,182.69 hectares of agricultural land with 565 hectares devoted to rice farming by 475 rice farmers.

Most of the agricultural land in the town is planted with coconuts, vegetables, and other crops.

The LGU also plans to make the facility a tourism site as visitors coming from nearby towns frequent the farm, especially on weekends.

“Visitors come here with their food and stay in cottages. Some are into tilapia fishing, which we offer for pay as an income of the facility,” del Agua said.

The town council is set to pass an ordinance prescribing an entrance fee, among others, to sustain the needs of the facility. (PNA)