By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

ALIEN workers are “illegally” subleasing commercial farm plots, according to retired Police Maj. Ray Camacho.
He said he and other farmers in Kagman, are keeping an eye on some alien workers whose presence in their village is “questionable.”
He said the number of these “questionable farmers” is now increasing mostly through a “sponsorship” scheme.
Camacho said while local farmers are having a hard time maintaining their plots due to the insufficient water supply, the nonresident farmers are getting an adequate water supply.
Agriculture consultant Isidoro T. Cabrera of Northern Marianas College’s Cooperative Research, Extension and Education Service yesterday said farmers in Kagman have observed that people who control the market for vegetables are now slowly getting into the production of agricultural products.
Cabrera said it is legal for farm lot owners to lease their property and the leasee also has the right to hire a nonresident worker to do the farming.
But what is happening on many farms not only in Kagman, Cabrera said, is that a nonresidents worker pays $500 to either the owner or the local leasee for control of the crop production.
These nonresidents, instead of just getting paid for tilling the land, are taking over the business, Cabrera said.
This is also happening in As Lito, As Perdido, As Teo and other places on island, he added.
This scheme violates the CNMI land use permit and is unfair to local farmers, Cabrera said.
Local farmers, he added, have brought the matter to concerned agencies like the Division of Immigration, the Department of Labor, Customs, as well as Revenue and Taxation but nothing has been done yet.
Cabrera said it is doubtful that these nonresidents are paying the right amount of taxes despite the money they earn from taking over commercial farm lots.
If this “anomaly” continues, he said, these alien workers will soon monopolize both the production and distribution of agricultural products on Saipan.