Farmers and ranchers were honored during a proclamation signing on Friday, June 6 at the governor’s office on Capital Hill.
AT a proclamation signing honoring farmers and ranchers at the governor’s office on Friday, June 6, the Saipan Agriculture Farmers Association Committee announced that the Saipan Agricultural Fair will take place on Saturday, June 28 at the Garapan Fishing Base from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event will showcase local produce and livestock. For questions regarding exhibition space or other related subjects, contact Jack Ogumoro, Division of Agriculture director, at (670) 256-3318/19 or email jtogumoro@gmail.com/.
Prior to the signing of the proclamation that honors farmers and ranchers, Ogumoro said they dedicate their lives “to providing us with fresh and nutritious food and deserve our support.”
For his part, Sylvan Igisomar, secretary of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, said farming should be handed down to the next generation, adding that the CNMI imports virtually all the food its residents consume.
“Once upon a time, all of our islands, north to south, were by and large were made up of farming, ranching, and fishing communities,” he said. “Back then we were independent. We didn’t need anybody to provide us the things we needed to consume. We farmed it ourselves; we fished it ourselves. Times have changed and now we are quite vulnerable and dependent. So I call on all the learning institutions, friends and families, as well as parents, to start impressing upon the next generation the need to be more involved and more active in farming and fishing.”
Saipan Mayor RB Camacho, a farmer himself, called water and land “the two major resources we have” in the CNMI.
“Yes, we have economy issues, and no tourists are coming in, so what can we do to pursue sustainability? Let’s cultivate the soil, let’s use the water to start fishing,” he said.
He also advocated for creating a farming program that leases land for as little as $1 to boost local food production.
“I continue to beg the governor. What is the possibility to give the people land at a dollar per acre per year? Let’s [have it as] a program for 10 years so we can see the results,” Camacho said. “We have the farmers market here…but who is going to fill the farmers market if we don’t have a farmer? A lot of times, I’ll walk into the market and it’s not full. So how can we fill up the farmers market? It’s up to us,” the mayor added.
According to the proclamation, farmers and ranchers “deserve to be honored for their steadfast dedication, resilience, and contributions to food and nutrition security, climate action, and cultural preservation.”
It stated that the CNMI government recognizes “the central role of farming” and “actively supports the perpetuation of traditional food systems, while encouraging both subsistence and commercial agriculture.”
