DINALUPIHAN, Bataan: The Australian government will be financing soil tests and scholarships in soil science in their well-known public university for agriculturists in Bataan and three other provinces in the country.
Congresswoman Maria Angela Garcia of Bataan’s 3rd district announced this on Friday during the payout in Dinalupihan town for 177 beneficiaries of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) of the Department of Labor and Employment.
The beneficiaries received P5,000 each for 10 days that they worked in their respective barangays from different towns in Bataan. Fund, Garcia said, came from Senator Loren Legarda.
The congresswoman said the Australian government’s offer of soil examination and scholarship in masteral and doctoral degrees at the Griffith University was for Bataan, Agusan, Ilocos and Tarlac as pilot areas.
The project will be financed by the Australian government through the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) through the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology.
Garcia said to attain a good harvest, “Kailangan muna itest ang kalusugan ng lupa kung ano ang meron ito, ano ang quality ng lupa natin. Ito ba ay mayaman sa ganitong elemento o kulang sa ganito? Kung alam natin kung ano ang kulang, bigyan natin at kung ano ang sobra huwag natin bigyan dahil baka abono tayo ng abono hindi pala niya kailangan ang abono na iyon.”
She said that we will be wasting money and the soil will become acidic with the wrong application of fertilizers.
“Ang lupa ang unang gamutin natin kaysa ang halaman ang ginagamot. Kapag malusog ang lupa hindi na kailangang lagyan ng abono. Kung ngayon umani tayo ng ganoon kadami baka next year hindi na ganoon kung hindi natin alam kung malusog ang lupa natin,” Garcia said.
She said that the intervention with our farmers should be based on scientific evidence. “Bakit natin kailangan bumili ng ganito karaming fertilizer at ipamigay sa mga magsasaka kung hindi naman natin alam kung iyon ang kailangan ng lupa nila.”
“So iyon ang pinakarason ng ating farm visit sa Australia. Una, yung kaalaman at kakayahan ng ating mga agriculturists madadagdagan. Pangalawa, yung ating lalawigan ay magiging part ng pilot project na kukuha tayo ng mga soil samples, iche-check sa laboratory sa Australia para malaman kung ano ang soil health at ano ang quality ng ating lupa para alam din natin kung ano ang dapat na itinatanim natin,” Garcia said.
She was with other congressmen in a recent visit to Australia with representatives from the Department of Agriculture, DOST, Bureau of Soils and Water Management that will be partnered with ACIAR.
“Kapag maging okay sa atin, ie-expand natin sa buong bansa so iyon ang medyo exciting na karagdagan sa mga ginagawa nating 1Bataan farms ,” she said.
