Guam Soil and Water Conservation District Chairman Roland Quitugua said because 95 percent of the island’s produce is imported, it is at risk for the entry of potential invasive species.
He said their goal is to establish Guam’s farming industry as a vital source of produce to feed its population.
“If we produce it locally, that protects our borders. It also builds the economy,” Quitugua said. “We need to work on our agriculture and build it and legitimize it. The key is to legitimize our industry.”
When the population levels out following the peak of the military construction phase, Guam will be able to sustain itself if the industry is properly cultivated.
Quitugua said GSWC has been working on a number of programs to help develop Guam’s farming industry patterned after the U.S.
Protecting the local environment is also on top of their agenda.
“What’s happening is we have a lot of farmers whose pigs and deer are tearing up the land and causing erosion. So, when it rains, it washes down and ruins the land and that affects our water quality and coral reefs,” Quitugua said.
He said GSWC is working closely with the Natural Resources Conservation Services, Department of Agriculture and the University of Guam Cooperative Extension and the Chamorro Land Trust to address Guam’s natural resource needs and foster the island’s agricultural growth for the island’s sustainability.
The new members of the GSWC board were sworn in on Wednesday at the Fiesta Resort Hotel.
They are: Hope Cristobal, Joaquin Naputi, Roland Quitugua, Joe San Agustin, and Bernard Watson. The new board members for the Southern District include: Oscar Flores, Brian Leon Guerrero, Angelita Mendiola, Benny San Nicolas, and Antonio Siguenza.
