by Redjie Cawis

ATOK, Benguet- The farmers in the vegetable-producing municipality of Atok are requesting water pumps for their farmlands which are affected by the summer season.

Vice mayor Marson Lay-at said that with no rains the past weeks, farmers are worried that the continued dry season would affect the quality and quantity of the vegetables being produced.

Atok is one of the biggest producers of highland vegetables being transported to La Trinidad and Baguio City and to market outlets in the Manila and other parts of the country.

Lay-at said that there are water sources in the barangays such as creeks and streams but many farmers do not have water pumps and watering hoses to supply water to the farmlands in the upland barangays like Paoay and Sayangan. The low lying barangays of Naguey and Pasdong have already been irrigated.

At the moment, farmers are manually carrying water from the source up to their farmlands, he said.

Lay-at said they have asked the National Irrigation Authority for water pumps and water source installation in their municipality and they are hoping that this will be answered soon. They have also sought assistance from the provincial government and other government agencies to help them with their problem.


During extremely cold days from December to February, Atok farmers experience frost bites in their vegetable farms. (JDP/RC-PIA CAR)