BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, March 25 (PIA) – Organic agriculture in this province is now aggressively pursued with the support of the provincial government through technical training of key personnel, promotion of organic fertilizers and provision of technical facilities.

Felipe Panganiban, provincial agriculturist said one of the development paths of the organic farming in the province is the creation of the Provincial Local Technical Committee(PLTC) chaired by governor Luisa Cuaresma through the issuance of Executive Order NO. 309.

“The PLTC members themselves even underwent training on organic agriculture for the smooth implementation of the needed programs, projects and activities,” he said.

He said the training was also cascaded from provincial to municipal levels through the Department of Agriculture(DA) and the provincial government among municipal agriculturists and agricultural technologists.

The provincial government also conducted two trainings on agricultural waste management and 15 technical briefings, including technology demonstrations among farmers’ associations and barangay local government units for the preparation of organic fertilizers to promote non-burning of rice share and hull in 2005 and onwards.

“Right now, we have already organized the Organic Fertilizer Producers Association(OFPA) in Nueva Vizcaya,” Panganiban said.

Agricultural facilities to support the training and technology were likewise provided such as the 36 units Community-Based Composting Facility(CBCF) projects and 2 shredders for various recipient farmers’ organizations.

The establishment of an organic trading post for organic products is now on-going to serve as a major drop point of farmers’ produce in barangay Magsaysay in Bayombong town.

Panganiban said that with the development projects, programs and activities in place, there are already producers of organic products which are bound for certification such as rice and vegetables.

“These products are now bound for certifications through the DA and Organic Certification Center of the Philippines(OCCP) inorder to reach the international quality standards of our local organic products in the province,” he added.