La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda said some strawberry growers are affected by the El Niño phenomenon especially those whose crops are located in mountainous areas.
He explained that mulching, a sustainable technology that helps sustain the moisture of the soil has been introduced to strawberry growers, as a way to mitigate the effects of drought, and to protect and keep the plants healthy.
"As reported by the municipal agriculture office ket han met unay nga affected ti strawberry ta adda ti mulch na gamin ti strawberry ngay, ma-sustain ti moisture,” Salda said.
[As reported by the municipal agriculture office, strawberries are not that affected because the crops were applied with mulch to sustain the moisture.]
He added that the Department of Agriculture has already initiated an irrigation project that would help strawberry farms in Barangays Betag, Pico and Puguis.
The mayor assured that the production of strawberries in town is sufficient for the three week-long Strawberry Festival set in March. One of its highlights will be the serving and selling of 10,000 strawberry cupcakes on March 17.
There are about 1,020 strawberry farmers in La Trinidad tilling about 36.4 hectares production areas. (JDP/DEG-PIA CAR/Jester Batanes, BSU Intern)