By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

THE irrigation problem in Kagman is, in part, due to the lack of cooperation from the farmers themselves, according to Department of Land and Natural Resources Secretary Ignacio Dela Cruz.
Dela Cruz, in an interview yesterday said an insufficient water supply has long been a problem in Kagman.
That is why the CNMI government, with federal assistance, has come up with the Kagman watershed project, part of which has already been completed, he said.
But one thing that makes the problem worse, according to Dela Cruz, is that the water is not used properly by some farmers.
Irrigation is supposed to operate on a schedule for each farmer, but some are opening the water valves off schedule, Dela Cruz said.
He added that although most of the farmers are complying with the rules, others are not, and “it’s very hard to determine now who is cooperating and who is not.”
Kagman farmers, he said, are paying 25 cents per 1,000 gallons of water, and 2 cents rent monthly per square meter of a farm land.
The farmers are supposed to pay this to the CNMI Treasury, but Dela Crus said some of them are not paying.
Some farmers early last week complained about their losses in the production of crops due to the insufficient water supply.
The problem has been brought to the attention of DLNR’s soil and water conservation district and agriculture consultant, Isidoro Cabrera.
The soil and water district’s job is to educate farmers about the need to practice conservation of soil and water.
Dela Cruz said two of the water pumps for irrigation are down.
As soon as the watershed project is completed, the farmers’ problems with irrigation will be solved, the DLNR secretary added.