By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

KAGMAN commercial farm plots continue to lack sufficient water, according to agriculture consultant Isidoro T. Cabrera.
Cabrera, who is with Northern Marianas College’s Cooperative Research, Extension and Education Service, said in an interview yesterday that the water supply for Kagman farms, the main source of agriculture products on Saipan, remains a problem.
Although phases 1, 2 and 3 of the irrigation project are finished, the water remains insufficient because the final phases of the $2.3 million project remain uncompleted.
“We are still waiting for phase 4 which will start as soon as the U.S. Congress makes the appropriation,” Cabrera said.
In February, the water control structure and box culvert for agricultural water supply and flood control, which are part of the irrigation project, were completed and turned over to the Soil and Water Conservation District.
The second phase of the flood control component of the project involves large reinforced concrete box culverts and water control structures.
Farmers, however, will continue to have dry plots until the completion of the entire irrigation system, the final phase of which involves the construction of a 70 million gallon reservoir for irrigation water.
Cabrera said due to the insufficient water supply, there are times when farmers have to wait for several days, specially during this dry season, before they can irrigate their plots.
There are about 40 farmers tilling commercial plots in Kagman.
Dante Bello, one of the farmers in the area, told Variety yesterday that he had yet to water their turnip plots.
The crops mostly affected by the lack of water include Chinese cabbage, mustard, and pechay.