DA to give bigger counterparts to LGUs prioritizing organic agriculture
The Department of Agriculture (DA) will give bigger counterpart resources to municipalities in Western Visayas, which are prioritizing organic farming.
DA 6 Regional Director Larry Nacionales said this is the agency's way of supporting the LGUs who embark into bigger initiatives to practice organic farming.
"It is in our local governments, in our farming communities where food security begins," Nacionales told the participants to a Farmers' Day held in Leon, Iloilo, late last year.
Nacionales, however, said farmers have to know a lot of things first before fully going organic, as many factors now affect the effective practice of organic farming.
He said that even use of fertilizers is now influenced by global prices and situations, as much as farmers must first know the techniques of proper management of soils and nutrients.
"Management of soil and nutrients is important, including the application of organic fertilizers which are introduced commercially," Nacionales said.
The DA chief said that even if organic, farmers have yet to know the basic information on how the organic nutrients are used and how decomposed materials are processed.
Meanwhile, the DA has embarked into possible forging of partnerships with pro-environment non-government organizations to further the practice of producing barangay-level organic fertilizers through solid waste management technologies.
The DA will be providing technical assistance to the NGOs and institutions which will be its partners, on top of other resources needed.
The Bureau of Soils and Water Management of the DA will be primarily responsible in seeing to it that he endeavors will run.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary said that the DA has forged partnership with the Federation of Free Farmers to promote organic rice production in 21 priority provinces in the country. (PIA 6)