Pinukpuk, Kalinga– The Ba-ay indigenous people of Pinukpuk are planning to restore traditional sugarcane production once flourishing in the municipality to increase the supply of locally produced wine, vinegar, and sugar in the municipality.
The Ba-ay Indigenous People Farmers Association (BIPFA) ventured on sugarcane wine and muscovado enterprise project in 2021 in an effort to revive the traditional methods by which this group can grow sugarcane and produce their own wine and sugar.
The effort is expected not only to provide an adequate supply of sugarcane derived products using the traditional method but also to augment the income of the IPs.
The project was made possible through the Department of Agriculture's Special Area for Agricultural Development Program (DA-SAAD) under FY 2021.
“Iti daytuy nga sugarcane production project iti SAAD, namnamaen mi nga gumaget dagiti taga Ba-ay nga agmula manen iti unas ken maaddaan ti barangay ti supply nga asukar ken basi nga sarili,” said Inosensyo Dail, BIPFA chairperson.
Sugarcane production as part of the Ba-ay IPs’ life
It is part of the culture and tradition of Ba-ay community to produce their own ‘inti’and ‘basi,’ thus farmers in said area cultivate sugarcane before.
However, locals in this place no longer engaged in making the product for quite some time, as younger generations have not continued the old practice.
“Adu ti agmulmula ti unas ditoy Ba-ay idi ngem ti panaglabas ti taw-tawen, di awanen dagiti lallakay, in-inut nga naawan dagiti agmumula ti unas ken pati dagiti dapilan nga kayo nagpeperdi dan,” Dail added.
Sugarcane cuttings ready to be planted this August
BIPFA with 20 Limos IPs in Pinukpuk received 1,000 sugarcane cuttings on earlier dates.
Out of said sugarcane cuttings, the five sitios in Ba-ay were tasked to plant 200 cuttings each in addition to their existing plants this month.
SAAD-Kalinga monitored the intervention and evaluation sites on July 26, 2022 and found the sites where the sugarcane will be planted are partially cleared. Likewise, the sugarcane cuttings are producing primary shoots, and some sprouts and roots are already visible.
Barangay Council Efren Tawway said that the restoration of sugarcane production projects may motivate the younger generation to involve themselves in agriculture.
In addition, the community may have the interest to venture into sugar enterprises as this had already been a basic necessity in every household with the increasing price of sugar products.
The DA-SAAD provided mechanized sugarcane presser (MSP), ‘silyasi’ or cast iron, terracotta jars, and packaging materials to the IPs.
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