By Erchel Sheen Gabonada June 19, 2020 The Current Discussion for Department of Agriculture (DA) Region IV-CALABARZON ‘s proposed proj...
June 19, 2020
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| The Current Discussion for Department of Agriculture (DA) Region IV-CALABARZON ‘s proposed project as they tackled about the benefits of the “Organic Konek”, a proposed Regional Organic Agriculture Hub. (Photo by Ms. Eda Dimapilis & Glenn Alianza) |
LIPA CITY, Batangas- Department of Agriculture (DA) proposed a regional organic agriculture hub in the region called "Organik Konek". The discussions and proposals were conducted by the Regional Organic Agriculture Program of DA Region IV-CALABARZON last June 16, 2020, at Southern Tagalog Integrated Research Center in Lipa City, Batangas.
The aim of the program is to establish organic agriculture practices in the Region by identifying qualified cooperatives materialize the "Organik Konek" and thus promoting healthy farming practices as stated in Republic Act No. 10068 Organic Act of 2010 also known as National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP) with the tag, "Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita."
Ms. Eda F. Dimapilis, Regional Organic Agriculture Program Coordinator said as she was also behind the implementers of the program said, "The Organik Konek will integrate existing trading posts and organic farms in the region; offer sources of organic inputs; provide agricultural production, processing, and marketing services to organic farming practitioners; and serve as a learning site on organic farming and the operation and maintenance of agricultural machinery". Additional to the aim of the program, this will help the small-time farmers to practice modern techniques in farming from pre-planting to post-harvest of the organic products.
The "Organik Konek" as stated in the discussion for implementing guidelines for the establishment of the program are; there would be a collection of data on production monitored through the organic agriculture hub and jobs would be created as it serves as the participatory guarantee system's center for its application and processing and also training for future operators of provincial, city, and municipal organic agriculture spokes. About 35 participants attended the meeting, including officials and sub-groups of the CALABARZON Organic Exchange (CORE), an organic stakeholders' network in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) CALABARZON is working closely on the implementation of "Organik Konek" as they can see the potential of the program to the modern integration and thus a revolutionary yet healthy and organic way of farming and thus help our farmers by the support of the government and other private sectors. Alongside the proposed project, there are other projects that are ongoing such as the operationalization of the KADIWA project of a farmers' coop signed on June 17, 2020.
The approval of DA Calabarzon to the operationalization proposal of San Jose Workers' Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SJWMPC) signed by Regional Director Arnel V. de Mesa, Assistant Regional Director for Operations Dennis R. Arpia, and Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer in Batangas Fidel L. Libao and the additional distribution of P13.2M worth of agricultural interventions to Batangas farmers among selected farmer-groups from the Taal-affected municipalities which are Taysan, San Juan, Rosario, San Jose, Padre Garcia, and Ibaan, Batangas.
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