THE National Organic Agriculture Board urges more farmers in the province to get certified through the Participatory Guarantee System to further mainstream practice in Negros Occidental and nationwide.
Currently, there are only farms in the province that are certified organic through a third party certification which is more expensive, said Jet Orbida, Visayas Farmer Representative to the national board.
"We do not have farms that are certified organic through the National Organic Agriculture Program's Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) which favors small organic farmers and fisherfolk," Orbida said.
Orbida said the PGS certification fee depends on how each Organic Certifying Body sets it, but some groups in the Visayas regions have set their fees between P7,000 to P10,000 per farm to accommodate small-scale farmers.
NOAP also provides a P3,000 incentive which further lowers the fee to get the organic certification.
The government initiative is way lower than the present third party certification fee which costs between P70,000 to P140,000 for every crop, he said.
Orbida conducts free orientations on the PGS and other NOAP oppotunities around the province and Visayas.
He recently held orientations with farmer organizations in Talisay and Calatrava. He is also set to present in a province-wide campaign in Guimaras in the coming weeks.
If a local government units or farm associations are interested to learn more about the government-initiated organic certification, Orbida may be reach through his mobile 09755687090 or via Facebook.
In 2021, PGS was launched by the Department of Agriculture as the key feature of the Republic Act No. 11511, an act amending the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 or RA 10068.
RA 11511 opened opportunities for small farmers and fisherfolk who want a sustainable and environment-friendly organic practice through PGS, a locally focused quality assurance system which is developed and practiced by people actually engaged in organic agriculture.
NOAP is also open for proposals for livelihood projects between P5 million to P10 million.
The program also has youth scholarships that provides a P150,000 startup capital after finishing a 9-month internship in a farm of their choice.
Orbida owns and manages Peace Pond, an organic farm in Binalbagan town which also recycles and repurposes solid waste.