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Church Urges Sustainable
Agriculture
CANTILAN, Surigao del Sur,
October 28, 2008—Commercial fertilizers and pesticides may become
part of history in Mindanao as farmers have began to benefit from
sustainable agriculture which the Social Action Directors Network of
the Catholic church aggressively promotes in partnership with the
Department of Agriculture.
Interviewed separately by CBCPNews during the Mindanao Regional
Farmers Conference held in this municipality, farmers from the
Dioceses of Digos, Kidapawan, Mati and Dipolog attest to the
benefits of organic farming.
Farmer Jose Julie Dael, 51, said he has been into organic farming
since 1986 and has attended various seminars and trainings in
appropriate technology for his palay, corn and vegetable production
in Bansalan, Davao del Sur.
“I have begun to earn more since I shifted to organic farming
because I spend nothing on chemical fertilizers,” Dael said. He has
complemented his crops with livestock.
Two of his three children finished Agribusiness and Agricultural
Engineering in a nearby state university.
Dael added his vegetable venture was so successful the landowner
opted do farming by himself.
In Kidapawan, Rogelio Genosas, known in the diocese as “Boy” said
there’s no other way for farmers but to go the way of sustainable
agriculture to cut costs and make their operations more viable and
feasible.
“With lesser inputs, we earn more,” Genosas told CBCPNews. He was
successful in developing an “energy drink” for his goats using a
combination of papaya and muscovado. He now sells an average of 23
heads every six months to the local government unit for dispersal
purposes.
He however said landownership would remain an important factor for
sustainable agriculture to succeed. “Landowners are motivated by
profit so they will always use petroleum-based fertilizers and
chemical pesticides,” he added.
Genosas said a farm lot with an area of at least one hectare would
be enough to give additional income to farmers. “Instead of orchids
and flowers, they should begin planting vegetables to generate
additional income these hard times,” he explained.
Gil Centineles, 58, a farmer-leader from the Diocese of Mati, has
corn, coffee and coconuts for regular income. He said he has a
hectare and a half of land and using organic farm inputs reduced his
expenses and increased his income. He said he has been into organic
farming since 2005.
He has turned to organic pesticides using a concoction of chili,
vinegar, onion and garlic which he regularly sprays his crops. He
said “it’s effective.”
Danilo dela Cruz Halike, 56, of the Diocese of Dipolog, harvests
22-25 cavans of organically-grown palay every cropping season in an
area of 1,650 square meters which he says is more than what his
family needs. “I guarantee my friends who buy my rice it has zero
chemicals,” he said.
He and his wife plant okra, eggplant, string beans in a 70 square
meter where they receive an average of P 500.00 a week. Sustainable
agriculture has its downside though. Halike said it’s requires more
manual work but he’s blessed to have two sons to help him farm.
Like Kidapawan’s Boy Genosas, his fellow farmers believe organic
farming is the key to crops with premium price as more and more
Filipinos turn to chemical-free farm products.
They all agree the land they use need a long time break from
chemicals and pesticides. (Melo M. Acuña) |
