Department of Agriculture (DA) officials have declared their intention to invest in the revival of abandoned and idle rice terraces in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
DA Assistant Secretary for Logistics Daniel Atayde said that the agency is now looking to earmark a portion of its annual budgets in the future allocations for the repair of centuries-old terraced farms in the Ifugao towns of Banaue, Kiangan, Hungduan and Mayoyao.
The new DA allocations would rebuild broken terraces and finance the reactivation of idle terraced farms to improve productivity, said DA-CAR director Jennilyn Dawayan.
Dawayan said that the agency is beginning an inventory of idle and abandoned rice terraces in the region in order to determine the appropriate amount of rehabilitation funding needed for the project.
While the terraces in question have existed for centuries, upland communities cite the lack of new blood to care for the terraces, with the average terrace farmer being in their mid-50s in terms of age.
According to Dawayan, the agency found that the farmers are open to assistance and subsidies if the DA-CAR is able to partner with other agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Another system being eyed is the traditional “chawwa” system in the Ifugao communities, where community members take over the operation of idle terraces in exchange for a share in the output of the terraces.
