Capiz town adopts 'kasakalikasan' farming method
Roxas City -- The municipality of Tapaz, Capiz is adopting an environment-friendly farming method dubbed "Kasakalikasan" that aims to make Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as part of the practices of farmers.
The municipality is headed by lady mayor Rosemarie F. Gardose.
Tapaz Community Development Information Officer Margie Gimeno said the municipal government through the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist, Department of Agriculture and Office of the Provincial Agriculturist in coordination with the farmers organization conducted a training on "Kasakalikasan" recently for local farmers to equip them with knowledge and skills about the method.
The program is in line with "Ginintuang Masaganang Ani" (GMA) of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo spearheaded by the DA headed by Secretary Arthur Yap. The GMA program is designed to boost farmers' productivity and income.
The DA has boosted the effort by adopting a five-pillar program to further diversify farmers' income, increase their accessibility to food markets, and provide them with needed support.
President Arroyo has included food production as among her priority thrusts particularly under her "8 by '08" program that seeks to enable Filipinos to enjoy the blessings of a surging economy.
The Chief Executive also has assured Filipinos that the country will have adequate rice supply amidst the increase in global food prices due to an impending supply shortage.
Municipal Agricultural Technicians Agustin Lira, Digno Espina and Jean Gimeno facilitated the training. A total of 35 farmers participated in the training.
Since IPM is environment-friendly as it seeks to minimize, if not totally eliminate, the use of chemicals in rice pest control, it also jives with one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that calls for efforts to ensure environmental sustainability in development. (PIA-JSC)