More Ilocos Sur villages turn to organic farming

By Nila O. Argel

Tuesday 5th of March 2013

CABUGAO, Ilocos Sur, Mar 5 (PIA) -- To make this town environment friendly, the municipal government is pushing for the adaption of organic agriculture, particularly vermicomposting in all 33 villages.

Vermicomposting, which uses earthworms to turn organic wastes into high quality compost, is presently adapted by a farming association in Barangay Baclig here.

Dominador Reynold Sabio, leader of a farmers’ group, said members have closely followed the processes involved in vermicomposting which yielded a good amount of compost supply for farmers’ use.

Sabio said that earthworms that the municipal agriculture office provided are mixed with cattle wastes and other post-harvest materials to come up with compost.

The Department of Agriculture has started promoting vermicomposting as an alternative to chemical-based fertilizers to prevent ground soil from hardening.

It said constant use of commercial fertilizers had resulted in hard soil component which caused flooding in farmlands and rotting of plants.

Organic farming is pursuant to Organic Agriculture Act or RA 10068, a program of the national government to help farmers turn to environment-friendly ways of farming, without the use of harmful chemicals. (MCA/NOA-PIA1, Ilocos Sur)