75 local farmers get assistance checks

The Division of Agriculture at the Department of Lands and Natural Resources has begun distributing checks to 75 Saipan indigenous farmers on Oct. 28 to defray the costs they incurred during the last two typhoons that hit the islands.

The cumulative total amounts DLNR will be disbursing is $170,000.

“We are very pleased to the action taken by Gov. [Juan N.] Babauta and our local legislative delegation in appropriating funds for our Saipan indigenous farmers, as the economic contribution they make in the CNMI is without a doubt very tremendous. The farmers deserve our support and this is one of many ways of just doing that,” said DLNR Secretary Richard Seman.

An appropriation of $200,000 was made possible through Saipan Local Law 14-17, the funding source of which came from the Managaha Island Landing and User Fee Trust Account. Rep. Ramon Tebuteb authored House Bill 14-48, D2, and Rep. Janet U. Maratita amended it to include $200,000 for the Saipan indigenous farmers. The Saipan and Northern Island Legislative Delegation passed House Bill 14-48, D2, on Feb. 14, 2005, and Babauta enacted it into law on March 2, 2005, as Saipan Local Law 14-17.

The local appropriation law authorized the DLNR to use portion of the money to help Saipan indigenous farmers defray incurred costs from damages and destructions they suffered when typhoons Tingting and Chaba hit the Mariana Islands. It further authorized the DLNR to expend portion of the funds to combat the rodent problems on Saipan farmlands.

Aside from the farmers’ relief assistance, the DLNR and the Northern Marianas College Cooperative Research Extension and Education Service have teamed up to develop measures to control rodents that have been plaguing Saipan farmers. Rats continue to cause farmers some financial losses because of destruction to their crops. The rodent control project received $20,000, and is expected to go into fill swing sometime this month, or as soon as the first order of rodenticides arrive. Informational brochures and fact-sheets on rodent control and baiting methods are available from the NMC-CREES. Farmers and interested persons may inquire with the NMC-CREES on the rodent control project.

The law also gave $10,000 to the NMC-CREES, for the eradication of the betel nut bud rot disease phytopythora. The NMC-CREES has begun the eradication project earlier last month, and is presently still ongoing. The NMC-CREES may be reached at 234-5498, for more information on the betel nut bud rot eradication project. (PR)