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Official Publication of the Philippine Information Agency Bicol Regional Office, in cooperation with the RIAC-REDIRAS - RDC Bicol



Thursday, July 10, 2014

DA urges farmers, livestock owners in Albay to go organic

LEGAZPI CITY, July 10 (PIA) – The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) teamed up with the provincial government of Albay to encourage the use of organic practices in backyard farming and livestock and poultry-raising in the province.

Dr. Antonio Basanta, officer-in-charge of Albay Provincial Veterinary Services (PVS) Office, said the accumulated effect of best organic practices even at a small scale can increase food supply and lessen harm to environment.

““If everyone has open spaces for the use of organic best practices in farm-related activities, even in small measure, then the accumulated effect would be abundance in food supply and a considerably lesser harm to our environment,” he said during a training course on Livestock and Poultry Production held recently in this city.

Some 30 participants joined the the three-day event which included lectures and hands-on training on several topicss uch as organic swine, poultry, and goat production, waste management, pasture development, and ethno-veterinary medicine.

Experts and personnel from ATI Regional Training Center in Bicol and Albay PVS facilitated the said activities.

Efren Sabularse, Center Director for ATI-RTC 5, said in his message that “livestock plays a big role in the nutritional cycle of our soil and using organic methods greatly decreases the harmful chemicals that are being fed into it.”

Basanta further encouraged the participants to become active partners of the provincial government in increasing food production utilizing organic technologies and practices.

“And we will continue to hold such trainings and other programs until we are able to achieve the goals that Governor Joey Salceda had instructed us to set for Albay,” he added.

The training culminated with a hands-on visit to a local farm in Ligao City where participants were able to view proper housing for animals, forage planting, milking, and live castration.

The government is promoting organic agriculture by lessening the use of synthetics and harmful chemicals in fertilizers and feed production to reduce the harmful effects they bring to the environment.

The focus on organic farming was developed to enhance the knowledge of local farmers who have developed such farming practices highly depending on harmful technologies which can endanger and taint not only the food supply but also the environment.(MAL/SAA-PIA5/Albay)

- See more at: http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=2571404889388#sthash.aB8V5I7U.dpuf

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