CREES: No money yet to buy betel nut fungicides

The CNMI may have already gotten approval from the Environmental Protection Agency to buy and use fungicides to combat the bud rot disease that is killing off the island’s betel nut tree population but all is not well yet, as the funds needed to buy the chemicals have not been made available yet.

Northern Marianas College-Cooperative Research Extension and Education Service agriculture consultant Isidoro Cabrera said the money allotted by the local government for the purchase of the fungicides has yet to be forwarded to CREES.

Cabrera said he has been working on identifying where to acquire the pesticides but said he is also following up with the Department of Finance about the release of the $10,000 in approved funds for the purchase of the chemicals.

He said that Finance had forwarded a letter to NMC with regards to the disbursement of the funds, so he would follow up with the college on the content and intention of the letter. He is meeting with the college this week.

Gov. Juan N. Babauta signed into law last March House Local Bill 14-48, which appropriates $600,000 from the Managaha Island Land User Free Trust Account for the renovation and construction of the Old Garapan Head Start. That law included an allocation of $10,000 to “defray the cost of the indigenous farmers and fishermen suffered during Typhoon Tingting and Chaba…and also for betel nut palm pest Phytophthora.”

NMC president Anthony Deleon Guerrero followed up on the funding in late March but has not received the money until now.

NMC-CREES director Anthony Benavente finally received the EPA number from the agency’s Washington, D.C. office two weeks ago that paves way for the purchase of fungicides Kocide 45 LF and Fosphite to combat the disease caused by the fungi Phytophthora meadii. Benavente immediately asked Cabrera to canvass the required fungicide.

Cabrera said he has not seen any further spread of the disease, which is currently ailing thousand of betel nut trees on Saipan and could threaten Tinian and Rota farms as well if infected plants or nuts are introduced to the two islands.

So far the bud rot disease has affected betel nut trees in Dandan, Rapugao Hill, As Lito, As Mahetog, Capitol Hill, Donne, Kagman, Papago, Tanapag, San Vicente, and Mt. Tapochao.

With the availability and purchase of the fungicides, the farmers could now be assured that help is indeed on the way, said Benavente. He, however, said there is a possibility the purchase could be stopped, as the EPA would still have to review their application within 90 days.

If given final approval, the application permit submitted would allow NMC-CREES to purchase and use the chemicals for five years, starting April 15, 2005 until April 14, 2010. When the permit expires, the college will have to apply for an extension or re-issuance of the permit.