Organic farmers continue to grow

THE number of organic-oriented farmers and consumers are fast growing, said Macario Cadatal, chairman of the Cordillera Organic Agriculture Development Council, Inc. (COADCI).

Jefferson Larauan, vice chairman of the La Trinidad Organic Practitioners Multipurpose Cooperative (Latop), said membership from the Mountain Province, La Union and Ilocos region is now at 86.

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Benguet farmers comprise the bulk of Latop’s membership. Larauan said all municipalities in La Trinidad are represented in the cooperative.

National reports also reveal that multinational companies are now into organic farming, making local farmers, who have shifted to organic farming, prove the efficiency of the alternative method of planting.

Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan has also encouraged farmers to consider the organic method to compete with the influx of smuggled vegetables in the open market.

Local farmers have already used a variety of methods like the non-toxic Japanese use of “mokusaku” (Wood vinegar) smoke as pesticide. Wood vinegar can kill insects and fungus and control microorganisms’ germination.

The El Niño phenomenon is helping in raising consumers’ awareness on organic farming, said Cadatal. “It is easier to advocate the use of the organic way of planting now that people are aware of what is happening to the environment.”

Cadatal said organic farmers use a smaller patch of land for their produce and consume less water, which makes organic farmer’s survive the dry spell. (Ma. Elena Catajan)