CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) will host the Regional Organic Agriculture Congress in Tarlac this coming September 26 to promote organic industry in the Philippines.
Farmers in the region are also expected to exhibit their produce during the congress. The event is expected to bring together farmers, organic farming advocates and stakeholders.
The congress also plans to showcase organic products and link them to potential markets, to recognize stakeholders having exemplary performance in the practice of organic agriculture, and to update agriculture stakeholders on recent organic agriculture best practices and technologies.
The DA's National Organic Agriculture Program (Noap) noted the steady rise since 2011 with more farmers practicing organic farming.
The DA reported there are close to 43,470 organic farming practitioners all over the country, from an initial number of 8,980 in 2011.
Support programs for organic agriculture are under the DA's Noap.
The Noap provides regions with support to farm production inputs like seeds and fertilizers, machinery and equipment, production facilities and irrigation network services.
The congress aims to show how organic agriculture is rapidly growing as a profitable livelihood of the farmers and to show the significant increase of organic agriculture practitioners and farmers.
Aside from further promoting organic products, the trade fair and exhibit is also aimed at linking small farmers to bigger markets and potential buyers.