BALLESTEROS, Cagayan, May 17 (PIA) -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has high hopes that the Cagayan Valley region will be rice sufficient in the next three years following the testimonies of farmer-beneficiaries and positive results of the ‘carrageenan’ application regionwide.

Carrageenan is an indigestible carbohydrate (polysaccharide) extracted from edible seaweeds which is used as an effective growth promoter and makes rice resistant to major pests. 

During the Rice Harvest Festival at barangay Fugu in this town, farmer-beneficiaries were elated to inform the officials of DOST Region 2 that their yield significantly increased to approximately 18 to 40 percent after applying Carrageenan to their palays.

DOST regional director Sancho Mabborang said of the 3,000 hectares committed for carrageenan application, close to 1,000 farmers in the Cagayan Valley region have benefited since it was introduced in the region three years ago.

“Kung ito po ay magtuluy-tuloy, mas marami pong farmers ang magbebenefit dito.  Ang tantiya ko po sa susunod na tatlong taon ay magiging rice sufficient na tayo,” Mabborang said.

He further said that ‘carrageenan’ is a product of the continuing research of the DOST aimed primarily at helping farmers to increase their yield.

“Dinala po natin sa field ang carrageenan at tuluy-tuloy po ang pananaliksik na ginagawa ng DOST. Napakaganda po ng mga datos na nakuha natin sa laboratoryo kaya ngayon ay ina-apply na natin sa field,” the regional director added.

Orlando Thomas, one of the farmer-beneficiaries here, said that aside from increasing the yield of farmers, carrageenan is also effective as pest controller as pests were being shooed after series of applications.

Thomas said during the first cropping for the dry season, his two hectares were planted with palay of which the one hectare was applied with fertilizer while the other one hectare was applied with Carrageenan.

“Nakita ko ang pagkakaiba ng palay na ginamitan ng abono at carrageenan. Sa carrageenan, bukod sa mas malusog ay umaalis ang mga peste gaya ng mga uod,” Thomas bared. 

Evelyn Camacho, who received nine liters of Carrageenan from DOST, said she applied the product to her vegetable plants such as eggplant, okra and mung bean.

“Okay din naman po pala kapag gamitin ito sa mga gulay. Mas malusog at mas maganda ang bunga,” Camacho attested.

Mabborang committed to provide another batch of free carrageenan supply to farmer-beneficiaries here following their positive feedback. 

 “Ang amin pong tulong ay walang hinihinging kapalit. Ang gusto lang po naming makita ay mapakinabangan ninyo yung mga pananaliksik na ginagawa at ginastusan ng gobyerno. Kapag nakita po namin na inyong napakinabangan ay kumpleto na po ang aming trabaho,” Mabborang added. (ALM/MDCT/PIA-2)