Lady farmers of Ecija fight for equality – Manila Bulletin

Published March 21, 2017, 10:01 PM

By Sheen Crisologo

THE FARM WOMAN This lady farm worker is busy harvesting onions at one of the fields in Nueva Ecija. Just last week, some 300 lady farmers rallied along the main street of Bongabon town to fight for equality in the farming industry, fair farm prices, and against importation. (Sheen Crisologo)

Bongabon, Nueva Ecija Lady farmers of this province are not just as strong as their male counterparts in the tilling fields; they are fierce in fighting for fair farm prices and for equality in compensation in industrial farms.

Recently, they took their fight to the streets, yelling: Mabuhay ang mga kababaihang magsasaka (Long live the women-farmers)! as they snaked through the streets of this town.

The rally was organized by the Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL) as part of their celebration of Womens Month.

AGML official Ula Ledesma said the women who joined the mass action represented farmers most affected by the importation of low-cost agricultural products like onions.

They are also the first casualties of farm mechanization, which the government is currently implementing for efficiency of production, but at the cost of laying off women farmers, said Ledesma.

We are seeking for rational prices of our products like onion and to stop importation which causes us less income, she said. Traders are getting their onion products for 20 pesos per kilo while the consumers market price is 70 pesos per kilo which we think is not fair at all.

AMGL also pushes for equality in compensating women who work in farms and the abolition of discrimination towards every hard-working farmer.

Farm mechanization also causes us unemployment, said Ledesma. Farm mechanization has a low requirement of manpower and, thus, causes the kicking out of farm workers; and the first ones discriminated upon in the farm are the women.

Tags: Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson, Lady farmers of Ecija fight for equality, Manila, Manila Bulletin, Manila news, News today, Womens Month

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Lady farmers of Ecija fight for equality - Manila Bulletin