Extended News

MUNGBEAN cultivation after a rice harvest is being promoted in Barangay Bangag, Solana in Cagayan province, a move that can help conserve soil resources and diversify the incomes of farmers.

Agricultural and biosystems engineer Ezra Jasmine Maramag of the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office 2 (DA-RFO2) said that this approach “improves land use efficiency, enhances soil fertility and provides an additional income stream for farmers during the offseason.”

“The adoption of mungbean production after rice is projected to generate an estimated yield of 1,200 kilograms at P50 per kilogram, providing farmers with an estimated additional income of P60,000 per hectare,” Maramag said.

Also, carrageenan plant growth promoter (PGP) for use as an effective organic fertilizer was introduced. PGP boosts plant health, reduces pests and diseases, and increases yield.

For her part, Carol Albay, focal person for the High Value Crops Development Program under the DA and National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program or NUPAP, reaffirmed the department’s dedication to boosting mungbean production in the region.

“We are committed to providing planting materials by 2026 to help farmers meet our production goals. At the same time, we encourage intercropping rice with vegetables to increase diversity and income for our farmers,” Albay said.

She also emphasized the need to focus on two major objectives. These are reducing mungbean importation by expanding local production to up to 20,000 hectares in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), and promoting value-adding through the development of processed mungbean products such as soup and noodles.

Norma Nerona, manager of the Southern Cagayan Research Center, thanked the local government of Solana and the barangay officials of Bangag for their support in promoting mungbean production.

Nerona said Solana’s vast rice areas are also ideal for mungbean cultivation.

On behalf of Bangag Barangay Captain John Gil Doca, village official Fred Melad also thanked the DA and Solana local government for their support to the farmers and for having their village as the host site for cultivating mungbean after harvesting rice.

“We look forward to a continued and fruitful partnership with DA-RFO2,” he said.

Source : msn