DOLE-funded bio-organic project increases income of Sta. Praxedes farmers

By Thelma C. Bicarme and Reginald B. Estioco

Friday 1st of June 2012

TUGUEGARAO CITY, June 1 (PIA) -- Around 20 farmers of Sta. Praxedes, a fifth-class town in Cagayan, are now benefiting from the bio-organic fertilizer production project of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which caused their incomes from farming to increase.

Amor Daluson, leader of the 20-member Portabaga Bio-Organic Fertilizer Producer Association, said the project reduces the dependency of members from inorganic or chemical fertilizers by at least 50 percent.

“Before, most of us were using eight bags of inorganic fertilizer per hectare for rice production. Now we are practicing Balanced Fertilization Strategy, wherein we only use four bags of inorganic plus four bags of our product, bio-organic fertilizer. This strategy reduces our cost of production thus increasing our income by P3,000 per hectare per cropping,” Daluson explained.

The Bio-Organic Production project of the said association was funded in 2009 under the DOLE’s Promotion of Rural Employment through Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship Development program, which aims to provide employment opportunities and assistance to the marginalized sector.

The bio-organic fertilizer produced by the association had already passed the quality standard set by the Department of Agriculture. Its main ingredients are rice straw, chicken dung, and live effective micro-organism bacteria.

“Most of the members of the association produce crops like rice, corn, vegetables, and banana. With the use of the bio-organic fertilizer, our crops especially corn are more tolerant to drought. Life expectancy of our vegetables is also longer thus we harvest more,” Daluson added.

DOLE Region 2 Director Atty. Sixto T. Rodriguez Jr. praised the association for managing the project well. “Assistance from the government will not come to you every day. Make this project even more successful so that more farmers will be benefited,” Atty. Rodriguez encouraged the members of the association.

To showcase the crops produced with the use of bio-organic fertilizer, the association participated in the Trade Fair organized by the Local Government Unit of Sta. Praxedes during the celebration of the town’s Sarakat Festival on May 15 to 19. (TCB/RBE-PIA 2)