THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Occidental-North continues to push for climate change mitigation through equipping agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (Arbos) with knowledge, skills and facilities on organic rice production.
The DAR, through the Program Beneficiaries Development Division (PBDD), conducted site validation and buffer zone establishment activities last week to four organizations.
These Arbos are A & G Esteban Farmers Association, Ricebis Negros Agrarian Reform Cooperative, and Sta. Rosa Farmers Association, all in Murcia town; and Sicaba Farmers Association in Cadiz City.
The DAR-PBDD, in a statement, said the site validation is aimed at securing the site and resources appropriate for organic rice production.
The buffer zone establishment, on the other hand, was conducted to safeguard the crop from the effects of toxic chemicals applied in the area.
The agency also introduced an organic technology in farming called biological control, or the use of living organisms to control pests.
"It reduces the pest population and their impacts on the environment because it takes advantage of basic ecological interactions between organisms such as predation, parasitism, pathogenicity and competition," it said, adding that this cost-effective method in pest control will benefit the Arbos in the long run.
It can be recalled that common service facilities like rice transplanters were awarded to the organizations recently.
In fact, these have started to help farmers in the field.
The technology, activities and facilities were pushed through the Major Crop-Based Project of the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) project.
The PBDD said the effects of climate change has posed an enormous threat to humankind.
"Thus, we are compelled to take immediate steps to counter the problem," it said.
It added that "to address this issue in rural areas, we in the DAR, equip the farmers with knowledge, skills and facilities to encourage them to venture into organic agriculture for a sustainable life."
The CRFPS, meanwhile, is geared toward the goal of building resiliency for agrarian reform communities with an emphasis on enhancing and sustaining the agricultural productivity of the said organizations as adaptation measures towards farming mechanization.
The project will also support the organizations to increase their farm production, yield better income and reform their lives.
The Program Beneficiaries Development is a support service delivery component of the DAR that aims to capacitate farmer-beneficiaries and provide them access to salient support services for the productivity of their lands and improvement of their lives.