FIFTEEN Kagman commercial plot farmers are asking the Department of Lands and Natural Resources to defer rent and water fee payments because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a letter dated Jan. 27, 2021 to DLNR Secretary Anthony T. Benavente, the farmers want DLNR to “defer farm plot rental and water fees from January 2020 to and when the legislation [pertaining to the] Division of Agriculture is enacted into law.”
The farmers are referring to House Bill 21-108, which will allow the director of Agriculture to issue licenses or permits to farmers for at least five years.
The farmers noted that the bill is now on the governor’s desk.
“We hope [it] will be signed into law or approved [soon],” the farmers added, saying that their request will allow them “to recover and begin anew.”
According to Kagman farmer Jesus M. Castro, they currently cannot “grow more produce because the market cannot absorb it.”
He said hotels are the biggest consumers of their produce, “but the hotels are closed, and there are no tourists.”
Castro said right now they are relying on the government-owned Garapan Public Market to sell their produce.
“But at the market, many of our produce become damaged because there are a few buyers only, and then the market takes out the damaged goods from what they pay us for our good produce,” he added.
