DAF-ARMM Vermicomposting Congress held in Cotabato

Friday 23rd of March 2012

COTABATO CITY, Mar. 23 (PIA) -- Farmers from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) gathered in a congress to promote organic farming and strengthen agricultural production.

A total of 189 farmers, agriculture officials, workers and local executives from Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi gathered in the two-day Regional Vermicomposting Congress on March 19 to 20 in Cotabato City.

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF)-ARMM regional information division chief Dhigs Abdulla said the activity is part of strengthening agriculture production in the five provinces through organic farming through vermicast composting and rapid composting using the facilities including the shredders provided to farmers by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Soils and Water Management (DA-BSWM).

Abdullah added, DAF-ARMM regional secretary Sangcula Tindick strongly urged the participants to fully utilize the facilities and machinery such as the shredder for the production of compost through the assistance of farm technicians not only to ensure increase harvest but also beneficial to the protection of the environment.

BSWM director Silverio Tejada, on the other hand, called on the farmers particularly the recipients of the 105 shredder machine and vermitea facility to strengthen practice of organic farming which would generate increased harvest at a much lower production cost while help restore soil fertility.

Tejada warned that unutilized and idle equipment and machinery will be awarded to other farmer-beneficiaries who are able and willing to use them in pursuit of the rice and food sufficiency program of the department under Republic Act No. 10068, also known as the Organic Act of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, ARMM executive secretary Atty. Anwar Malang expressed full support to the program as he stressed the importance and potential of organic rice, vegetable and other agricultural products in the local and world markets similar to halal food. (DED/PBC-PIA12 Cotabato City)