tootoo52

Agricultural Machine The administration of Governor Joseph C. Cua is making good on its promised support for greater

agricultural productivity, with the Caramoran tiger grass processors receiving three "lasa" seed removers to be paid back

without interest within five years. Last May 21, the governor brought the depollenating machines costing P20,000 each to

barangay Hitoma where he and Caramoran Lasa Processors Association president Sanny Barra signed a memorandum of agreement

covering the assistance. The signing of the agreement was witnessed by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial

director Ireneo Panti, Jr., PASO-OIC Wilfredo Talay, Provincial Agricultural Support Officer Herbert Evangelista, Sugbo

Movers Association president Crispin Lopez, Rev. Fr. Joseph Rey Villamartin, lasa processors and farmers, Hitoma barangay

officials headed by chairman Noel Brizo and residents. The association earlier requested the provincial government to provide

the tiger grass seed remover to improve productivity and introduce mechanization to the industry, which is the chosen One-

Town-One-Product (OTOP) for Caramoran town. The making of "walis-tambo" or tiger grass brooms, dusters and novelty items is

mostly done through manual labor. Under the agreement, the provincial government procured the depollenating machines, the

cost of which will be paid by CPLA within five years, with a one-year grace period. Amortizations of P3,750 each will be paid

by CPLA to the province every March, April, May and June during the peak of the lasa harvest season from 2009 to 2012. In

case of non-payment within 15 days after harvest, the province will serve a default notice to CLPA requiring payment of the

overdue amortization within 15 days, after which the government will have the option to pull out the machines. The project

will be monitored by PASO, with DTI joining in to provide technical assistance to tiger grass processors. According to Gov.

Cua, the machine, which can be bought for P15,000 each but without the required motor, can be converted to a rice thresher

via installation of some attachments. He added that with the use of the depollenating machines, farmers can reduce the time

needed to remove seeds from one "bulto" of lasa to just an hour, instead of eight hours of manual labor using children to

pound the lasa stalks against pavement. He said that 18 barangays in Caramoran are requesting the same machines but the

provincial government wants the cost charged directly to the barangay’s Internal Revenue Allotment through P1,000 monthly

amortizations. If realized, the acquisition of the machines would allow lasa-producing barangays to earn rental income from

its use by broom makers and farmers.