July 26, 2012

A provincial agriculture office in Isabela, the Philippines, is intending to increase the province's aquaculture production in cooperation with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

This will be an alternative source of income for rice and corn farmers in the province.

Provincial Aquatic and Fisheries Officer, Nimfa Aquino, said they are giving out free fingerlings to fish farmers to encourage them to venture into aquaculture even at their backyards as a means of adding their income other than rice and corn farming.

Aquino said fish farmers are also entitled to the provincial government's life insurance programme where the premiums are paid by the provincial government.

Aquino said that as of second quarter this year, there were about 1,000 fishers in the province covered by life insurance.

She said the province is 80% sufficient in the supply of tilapia, as the provincial agriculture office is giving fingerlings-subsidy to fish farmers in the province.