Luigi sets aside P5 million for organic vegetable production

CEBU, Philippines -  Sixth district Rep. Luis Gabriel Quisumbing sponsored last Monday a seminar on organic vegetable production at the Norkis Park in barangay Looc, Mandaue City.

Raymond Rubia of the Agri-Aqua Network International, a private company in Quezon City, conducted the seminar on vermi composting for 350 persons from the towns of Consolacion and Cordova and Mandaue City.

The seminar is part of Quisumbing’s livelihood program. P5 million has been allotted for the program.

During the seminar, the participants were given free kits which included “one half kilo of vermin (earthworms), a manual on vegetable production, a livelihood book, and eight packets of seeds.

Each packet could generate at least P20,000 per harvest.

Rubia had encourages participants who were mostly farmers to switch to local fertilizers rather than continuing to use chemical fertilizers.

He said it is now high time for Filipino farmers to switch to organic fertilizer production through vermi composting as it is much cheaper than chemical fertilizers.

In vermi composting, earthworms produce fertilizers for organic farming.

Rubia said although organic farming is not being practiced in the country.

Statistics show only 12 percent of farmers are into it  but he believes that the practice is now picking up as big companies in the country have started to switch to producing organic products.  (FREEMAN)