As the world rumbles in panic over the coronavirus pandemic, one issue got significantly highlighted\u2014that food security matters\u2014with the recent passage if a House bill that seeks to open up the opportunity to rebuild and strengthen the agriculture sector in the CNMI, through the Kagman Commercial Farm Plot.<\/p>\n
Authored by House vice speaker Rep. Lorenzo I. Deleon Guerrero (R-Saipan), House Bill 21-108 will provide the Department of Land and Natural Resources with the authority to hold and manage public lands transferred to it from the Department of Public Lands. <\/p>\n
It will also grant authority to DLNR\u2019s Division of Agriculture to issue licenses and permits in respect to the Kagman Commercial Farm Plot Program. There are currently over 30 farm plots in Kagman.<\/p>\n
In an earlier interview, Deleon Guerrero said the bill would allow the Division of Agriculture to collect fees for the use of the farm plots, and to provide services to farm plot owners, such as maintenance and soil cultivation, among others. <\/p>\n
Ccurrently, the Division of Agriculture is not allowed by virtue of the CNMI Constitution to do so. Deleon Guerrero said this bill would address that concern. <\/p>\n
Division of Agriculture director Jack Ogumoro, speaking before the members of the House at its session last March 13, said the legislation \u201cwould allow us to implement a very special program for our farmers and that’s the Kagman Commercial Farm Plot.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a program that is designed to help our farmers become farmers. We need farmers because of all these problems, including the virus, we might have a problem with our food supply, and so we need farmers,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Ogumoro also raised, before the legislators, a problem with the division\u2019s current set up. \u201cThere is no Division of Agriculture that exists in our current statute. We need to change that. \u2026I would really appreciate your help in expediting this piece of legislation to call us what we should be called, the Division of Agriculture, and become a legitimate member of the CNMI.\u201d <\/p>\n
Board of Parole chair Ramon B. Camacho also spoke before lawmakers to support the bill.<\/p>\n
\u201cFood security matters,\u201d Camacho said. \u201cIt’s about time that we relinquish this thing from [the Department of] Public Lands to the Division of Agriculture so that they can create programs and entice our people to start farming.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about time. \u2026We need to give authority to the Division of Agriculture so the division could come up with and develop programs in our community, [for] our young generation to start venturing into farming,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
DLNR\u2019s Division of Agriculture recently collaborated with the Board of Parole, the Northern Marianas College-Cooperative Research and Extension Education Services, Saipan Mayor\u2019s Office, Miss Earth NMI, and Rep. Tina Sablan (Ind-Saipan) to launch a community garden in Susupe, the very first in the CNMI. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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