Sta. Barbara farmers shifting to organic rice farming
MASIPAG Transplanting activity. Julius Talabor
(left) leads the farmers to transplant the MASIPAG
seedlings with Mike Baylon (right), FFF Coordinator.
Iloilo Farmers encourage their fellow farmers to go into organic rice farming as they implemented the MASIPAG Organic Rice Farming Technology in Brgy. Cafï, Santa Barbara, Iloilo since July 26 – 28, 2006.
Mike Baylon, provincial coordinator of the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) in Negros Occidental supervised in that implementation at Peregrina Magbanua's farms in Sitio NAPOCOR, Brgy. Cafï.
The village farmers led by Julius Talabor encouraged their fellow tillers to join the MASIPAG rice farming and technology.
Baylon brought with him 33 Masipag trial seeds for demonstration. He also brought 20 kilos of workhorse variety. These seeds were sown by them last July 1, 2006 for mass production and eventually for dissemination to the other interested farmers. The farmers led by Talabor cooperated and showed a warm reception.
Organic rice varieties are more resilient to pests thus reduce the cost of farm inputs. Pollution from inorganic pesticides and fertilizers will also be minimized.