At least 180 agrarian reform beneficiaries from Camarines Sur are currently enhancing their technical know-how on organic crop production through Farmers’ Field School (FFS).
OIC- Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Maria Gracia R. Sales said that the field schools are being carried out in selected agrarian reform areas that include Amoguis, Lagonoy; Danlog, San Jose; Buracan, Sagñay; Tinangis, Pili; and May-Ogob and San Antonio in the municipality of Ocampo.
The program is part of the continuing agricultural extension support to Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) project of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in partnership with the Department of Agriculture- Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) and local government units (LGUs).
Sales said the program is intended to promote organic farming, improve food security and rural income, and reduce poverty which are still prevalent in said areas and around the province.
Sales added that farmers are taking a 16-week training program to study proven agricultural practices, by which they can increase their yield and production and protect their crops and training on producing organic fertilizers and pesticides which they can apply on their own farms.
“We want to make every farmer’s farms and backyards to be as productive as possible and turn their farms into business,” Sales said.
Sales said the DAR has allocated more than P400,000 for the three-month training on organic vegetable, rice and corn production.
The farmers received planting materials from DAR and attended series of classes from planting to harvesting which is facilitated by competent agricultural technicians from DA.
It is one way of helping the province attain food sustainability and agricultural productivity, “that’s why the DAR has decided to train and encourage our farmers to go into organic farming. We assure them that the DAR will be there to help improve their quality of life. (GCBuensalida)
Posted By: Lynne Pingoy
