Agriculture and Fishery

AGRICULTURE AND FISHERY

Iba is predominantly an agricultural town where farming, fishing and livestock raising are the primary source of livelihood of rural household. Farmers, fishermen and livestock raisers constitute approximately 10 percent, 4 percent and 5 percent of the employed labor force in Iba. In absolute figures, there are approximately 2,213 farmers, 836 fishermen; and 1,412 livestock raisers. Table below shows the agricultural crops and its production output for the year 2004.


Table above shows that carabao mango production remained the most promising high-value crop cultivated and produced in Iba. Presently there are 89,175 fruit bearing trees, covering an area of approximately 1,783.50 hectares and there are also additional 36,160 still non-bearing carabao mango trees, planted in an area of 723.20 has.

Based from the following parameters of production; 10 kaing/tree at 22 kls per kaing, at an average of 50 mango trees per hectares, the yearly average production of mango in Iba will reach 20,000 metric tons. It is interesting to note, that last 2001, Iba became the number one producer of carabao mango in the Province, based from the BAS Office data. Livestock raising is a major source of livelihood for the community. Summarized below are the present number of raisers and livestock products in Iba. Raising is either done in backyard or commercial production.

Fishing industry on the other hand, is classified into deep-sea fishing and inland water fishing. The former covers an area of 180 square kilometers of Municipal waters while the latter, covers 70 hectares of both brackish and fresh water areas of Iba. Most fishponds are situated in Brgy. Amungan, Bangantalinga, Lipay-Dingin, Palanginan, San Agustin and Sto. Rosario while fresh water areas are located in Sta. Barbara and Palanginan. Fish like milkfish and tilapia and also tiger prawn are being cultured in these fishponds and harvested twice yearly.

Of the total accounted fishermen, only 435 fishing vessels are available, 401 are motorized, the rest are non-motorized. These fishermen used gill nets, fish traps, spears, hook and lines as fish gears. The most commonly caught fish are tuna, squid, anchovy, scad, mackerel and grouper. So far, no cold storage plant is established in Iba. Fish traders store fish catch in iced-pack styropore containers.