AS THE Chinese proverb put it, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Organic farming in the province has indeed come a long way since the beginners’ civil society efforts in the 1980s to 2000s.
Three years ago, Governor Alfredo Marañón Jr. stressed that the organic industry in the province is going by leaps and bounds.
Vice Governor Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson seconded that, adding that advocating organic farming will help “preserve food security and mitigate the effects of global warming and climate change.”
He further said that Negros Island is not only known for its sugar industry but also in organic agriculture.
Next year will be the local election and Gov. Marañón will bow out of office and a new governor comes. Although belonging to different parties, both the current governor and vice governor are singing a harmonious duet on organics and climate change.
The other day, Sunstar Bacolod reported that the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) has certified the Negros First Organic Technology Center (NFOTC) in Barangay Tabunan, Bago City as a learning site for integrated and diversified organic farming. This is the first time that a training institute in Western Visayas has been certified with such a title.
This is also an additional nail to batten the coffin of the sugarcane monoculture of Negros Occidental. Good riddance.
It’s a different world now. I find it strange that many Negrenses who studied in the best Philippine schools staked their sources of income in a single crop. That’s putting their eggs in one basket instead of many.
For several decades, the province’s political leaders are betting on agrobiodiversity where sugarcane plays an important but not a crucial role.
The sugarcane industry can sneeze all it wants but Negrenses are assured of not catching a cold.
In fact, the industry is not exactly in the best of health. Yet, investors outside are confident enough to plunk their money in the hope of good returns in investments.
Consumers are no longer chained to the sugarcane industry for their purchasing power but on economic diversity.
Make that in Agrobiodiversity, a vital sub-set of biodiversity. Many people’s food and livelihood security depend on the sustained management of various biological resources that are important for food and agriculture.
Agrobiodiversity’s conservation is de rigueur for farms to be classified as organic.
Provincial supervising agriculturist Dina Genzola said the certification further enables the provincial-government run facility to conduct training, especially on organic agriculture, and implement other programs aimed at developing the agriculture industry of Negros Occidental.
Genzola said, “This learning site is really a big boost to our local agriculture sector as it provides access to education among our farmers.” Aside from being a training venue for organic practitioners, the facility will also serve as a production area for various organic commodities including crops, and poultry and livestock animals.
(bqsanc@yahoo.com)