Sarangani farmers use organic fertilizer

KIAMBA, Sarangani (March 18, 2010) – Thirty graduates of the “season-long training” at Farmers’ Field School in Salakit, who completed a four-month training by the local government of Kiamba and the Department of Agriculture, received 30 bags of organic and micronutrients fertilizer (SOLAMATE) on March 15.

“Ang mga fertilizer na ito ay nanggaling pa sa Tupi Seed Farm at sa pamamagitan ni Mayor Rom Falgui ay nabigyan na tayo ng 200 bags of organic fertilizer,” said Conrado Egar, municipal agriculturist of Kiamba.

Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on ecosystem management and attempts to reduce or eliminate external agricultural inputs, especially synthetic ones.

It is a holistic production management system that promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity.

“Kaming mga farmers sa Salakit hindi na gumagamit ng commercial na fertilizer, malaking tulong talaga sa amin ang organic fertilizer at importante ito dahil nakakatulong ito lalo na sa health namin,” added 51-year old Nely Garcia, one of the trainees.

Garcia hopes that with the use of organic fertilizer, the farmers will produce better and safe volume of high yield crops despite the dry spell.

Garcia, a mother of four whose daily living relies much on vegetable trading for P200 a day, sees opportunities in good cropping after the training.

“Marami kaming natutunan, gaya halimbawa ng pagkilala sa mga kaibigang kulisap o kaaway at ang mga pang spray para sa mga uri ng sakit ng palay,” Garcia said.

She explained that “gaya ngayong panahon ng El Niño na dapat daw kaming magtanim ng maraming gulay para sa aming kabuhayan at maraming salamat kay Mayor Falgui sa pagbigay sa amin ng fertilizer.”

Thirty farmers from barangays Nalus and Lebe will receive the same number of bags as well as 20 farmers from barangay Tablao and 14 from barangay Tambilil.

The LUSALETA Irrigators Association received P250,000 for cattle production as livelihood assistance from the LGU of Kiamba.

The same goes with Women in Development of Sarangani (WINDS).

“This is actually a P2.5 million worth of projects of MRDP-CFAD (Mindanao Rural Development Program and Community Fund for Agricultural Development),” said Angeline Gulmatico of the local agriculture office.

“Kailangang bigyan natin ng pansin ang ating mga kapatid na magsasaka dahil sa kanila nakasalalay ang ating kakanin sa araw-araw at they are one of our foundations when it comes to our agricultural economy,” Mayor Falgui said. (KIAMBA NEWS CENTER/Joel C. Pinos)