I am Alar-laa Joy Cagata, an aspiring young farmer from Iloilo, Philippines. I come from a family of farmers. Whenever I look at my old parents, I always see hope in agriculture.
Due to poverty, at six, I was already helping them on the farm tilling, planting, weeding, and harvesting palay, almost every day. One big challenge our family encountered was when Tatay had to lease his land because my brother was diagnosed with diabetes and had to be medicated with insulin. As years passed, he became more ill. My parents were already in debt for his medications. I was in college when Tatay had to sell his land to help with my brother’s medication. My parents’ sacrifices became my inspiration for my studies. My school allowance was prioritized over having a good meal. It was 2013 when my brother passed on. I felt that everything was wasted. We lost our land and my dear brother. Despite all these challenges, I graduated from college. Right now, I do not own land, but farming motivates me. When I have my own farm, I will be able to continue my father’s passion for farming.
For six years now, I have been working as a farmer facilitator. I am one with the farmers in their problems and struggles. Every day we find hope in farming. We discover solutions in our own ways.
The Rice Tarification Law (RTL) has become a burden to us. We suffer from high interest rates from loans, high prices of farm inputs, and a lack of sustained market. During harvesting, the price for palay drops and we get lesser than what we expected. We lose income. The Department of Agriculture (DA) gave us two bags of fertilizer and 40 kilograms of rice seeds per hectare. But these are not enough to recover our loss every cropping.
To our policymakers, please pass a bill to amend the RTL. To DA Secretary William Dar, we are waiting for the five thousand pesos subsidy for rice farmers every cropping. We deserve that subsidy. Make us young farmers inspired by your good deeds. I want the government to pass a policy on the rights of young farmers and access to our own land. If this happens, young farmers like me will see agriculture as a viable career for us to stay with.
Alar-laa Joy Cagata
Philippines
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