SURIGAO CITY, June 14 – An estimated 10,000 farmers in Caraga region are now enjoying the increase in their production due to composting facilities given to them by the government, it was learned Monday.

Lorna Belgira, report officer of GMA Rice Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA), said these farmers are from Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Butuan City.

The farmers in the provinces of Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Butuan City already received 86 units of Compost Facilities in the Caraga region.

In support of the Executive Order 481 otherwise known as the “Promotion and Development of Organic Agriculture in the Philippines” the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) of the DA distributed the composting facilities in Caraga Region early this year.

The DA through the BSWM is actively pushing the Organic Fertilizer Production Project (OFPP) of which the composting facilities are part and parcel of its implementation through the establishment of the Community-Based Composting Facility (CBCF).

Of the total 86 units, 18 were distributed in Agusan del Sur. Another 22 were given to Surigao del Norte, 26 in Surigao del Sur and 20 in Agusan del Norte that include nine units for Butuan City.

Each unit includes one 65-horse power shredder, two units of compost tea brewer, three units of vermin bed and 15 kilos of vermi or African night crawlers.

The said units were turned over by BSWM to the respective local government units which in turn turned them over to the beneficiaries like farmers’ organization/ association and or cooperative earlier identified.

The beneficiary should have an area of not less than 500 square meters and provide labor during the installation and a warehouse for the equipment, and shoulder the expenses incurred during operation.

The Department of Agriculture is in charge of the implementation, monitoring and regional coordination for the establishment of CBCF.

To equip the farmer beneficiaries the necessary skills on how to operate the facilities, a training was conducted by DA Regional Field Unit 13 with the experts from BSWM.

According to Belgira, additional 42 units of composting facilities are set to be distributed within the current year.

The DA-BSWM advocates the utilization of organic fertilizers as one of the methods to minimize groundwater pollution, restore soil fertility, reduce the vulnerability or marginal farmers on the high cost of chemical fertilizers, and promote the gradual adoption of Organic-Based Agriculture nationwide. [(PNA)LAP/MUC/mec]

Source: Farm composting facilities help increase production of 10,000 farmers in Caraga