SAN RAFAEL, Bulacan–Vegetable, rice and other agricultural produce of National Irrigation Administration (NIA) farmers beneficiaries in Bulacan and Pampanga amid recent super typhoon Karding were displayed and sold at “Bulacan farmer’s market day” here on Monday.
Josephine Salazar, NIA Reg. 3 director held the first Bulacan Trading Post market day with the 12 irrigation working station group- beneficiaries of the Angat Maasim River Irrigation System (AMRIS) which they manage and supply with irrigation needs from Angat and Bustos Dam to help them sell their harvests after the devastating super typhoon on Sept. 26.
Salazar said all the presidents of the 12 working stations of NIA in Bulacan brought their crops they still manage to harvest despite the flood waters and was able to sell them to 65 employees in her office.
Roberto Dela Cruz, head of Irrigation Management Office for Bulacan said sales reached to almost P38,500 which includes okra, upo, string beans, eggplants, tomatoes, rice, eggs including salted eggs.
Dela Cruz said the farmers harvested their vegetables 2-3 days ago in time for the trading. A series of farmer’s market day will be conducted in the other working stations in Pulilan, Apalit, Baliwag, San Luis, Baliwag, San Rafael, Bustos and Plaridel.
Buenaventura Bernabe, president of Irrigators Association in Capihan, San Rafael said their group had sold P600.00 worth of string beans and upo. Although very small in amount, he said, they are happy they still managed to harvest while the neighboring plantations were already soaked with flood waters.
According to Salazar the market day has long been being held in Tarlac, Zambales, Pampanga and Bataan and they launched it this time in Bulacan to support the farmers affected of the super typhoon.
