ORGANICAGRICULTUREPROGRAMFY2017HIGHLIGHTSOFACCOMPLISHMENT

(January-December15,2017)

OrganicAgriculturePrograminBicolRegionforFY2017focusedinstrengtheningtechnical and production support to more farmers, producers, processors and otherstakeholdersascomplianceto2010RepublicAct10068thataimstopromoteandfurtherdevelop the practice of organic agriculture in the Philippines. Also this year, OrganicAgricultureProgramintensifiedtheawarenessofpotentialfarmers/farmersassociationto3rdpartycertificationanditsimportance.Todate,106farms(7groupsand5individuals)weregivencertificationassistance.Furthermore,additionalagriculturalextensionworkers(AEWs), farmer advocates, practitioners and producerswere trained to strengthen theirskills,andbeinformedtonewtechnologiesinorganicfarming.

Theprogramwasabletodistributeatotalof1,745kilosofseedscomposedofrice,assortedvegetables and corn seeds, and also a total of168,040kilosof SoilAmeliorantscomposed of organic fertilizers, Bio-fertilizer and African Night Crawler (ANC) weredistributed.Benefited a total of 220 farmer individuals. Thiswasprovided in support toconversionoffarmsintoorganicproducingfarms.

IncontinuouspartnershipandcollaborationwithLGUs,NGOs,POsandSUCstheprogramwasabletoconduct33marketingrelatedactivitiessuchastradefairsandexhibits,fora,congressandconsumerawarenessseminars.Also,21trainingrelatedactivitieswereconductedtoreinforce,capacitateandenhanceknowledge/skillsofAEWs,farmers’organizationandfarmerpractitionerstonewtechnologiesandstandardsinorganicfarming.

For this year, the 10th Bicol Organic Agriculture Congress an annual gathering of

organicagriculturefarmers,practitioners,advocatesandsupporterswasparticipatedinbyalmost700participantswhichwasheldatLaboConventionCenter,Labo,CamarinesNortelastOctober12-13,2017inpartnershipwiththeLocalGovernmentUnitofLabo.Highlightsofthecongresswastheawardingofregionalwinnersforthisyear’ssearchforoutstandingorganicagricultureachievers,promisingawardsforregionalfinalists,andsomeLGUswerealsoacknowledged/commendedforthesuccessful implementationofOrganicAgriculturerelatedprojects.

A two-day fairwas also conducted togetherwith the congress participated by 26organicproducers/tradersaccumulatedatotalof250,742pesossales.

Additionalthree(3)organictechnodemoandtrainingfarmswereestablishedatGubat,Sorsogon,Castilla,SorsogonandLegazpiCityAlbay.Allthreelocatedatdistantmunicipalitieshasonecommonobjective,toserveaslearning/modelsiteandshowcasenaturalandorganicwayoffarming.

WithregardstoAgriculturalEquipmentandFacilitiesSupport,OrganicAgricultureProgramwasable todistribute15units/setsofmachineries/facility. For theproductionrelated machineries the program provided vermicomposting equipment, multi-tillingmachine and established greenhouses, while compact rice mill was provided as post-harvestmachinerytothechosenbeneficiary.

Also,threepromisingindividualsverydevotedtopropagatingorganicagricultureintheregionwereawardedduringtheNationalOrganicAgricultureCongressatCagayandeOro.Engr. Dexter A. Mendoza, Outstanding City Organic Agriculture Focal Person,Mr.Elmer A. Salazar, Outstanding Organic Individual Farmer and Ms. Adelina A. Losa,OutstandingRegionalOrganicAgricultureFocalPerson.Toacknowledge theeffortof theoneswhoareworkingsodiligenttoimplementsuchchallengingprogramwasalreadyabigachievement,whatmoretoberecognizeandawardedthattheyoutstandtheotherinthethisfield.Wesayit’sanothermilestoneforOrganicAgriculturePrograminBicolRegiontocherish.