Pamela S. Aguon, acting district conservationist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, said the funds are for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or EQIP.
She said the number of farmers and ranchers availing of the program varies.
They are ranked based on field inventory and assessment of farm plots.
EQIP is one of the USDA’s programs that provides financial assistance to agricultural producers willing to practice conservation measures.
The USDA has announced that it is accepting EQIP applications from farmers and ranchers.
They have until Feb. 13 to submit their applications.
Aside from EQIP, the USDA is also accepting applications for the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program, which aims to improve fish and wildlife habitats; and the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program which addresses ground and surface water conservation.
“We’re focusing our conservation efforts…on lands used to produce agricultural products,” said Lawrence Yamamoto, Pacific Islands Area director of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Ray Blas Camacho, who runs his farm under EQIP, said the farmers and ranchers in the CNMI need assistance in marketing their produce.
Speaking on behalf of the local farmers, Camacho said there were a lot of applicants for EQIP and those qualified will soon get help in tilling their farms.
But the question is, he asked, “How are we going to sell our produce?”
He said the local government does not provide significant assistance to farmers, but they continue to work “very hard to expand farming in the CNMI.”
“We won’t bring economic benefits to the commonwealth if there’s no way to market our produce,” he added.
