Naval farmers associations receive organic farming facilities

AVAL, Biliran -- Four Naval farmers association received organic farming facilities from the Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Office-Western Visayas during the turn-over ceremony held Thursday, March 23, in Barangay Lucsoon, this town.

The farmers associations which received botanical concoction center from DA-Western Visayas were the Barangay Capiñahan Rural Improvement Club, Barangay Lucsoon Farmers' Association, Barangay Talustusan Farmers' Association, and Barangay Villacaneja Farmers' Association.

DA-Western Visayas represented by Dr. Carlos De la Cruz, regulatory division chief, turned-over said facilities to the local government of Naval represented by Vice Mayor Vicente Curso, Provincial Board Member Miguel Casas, and Municipal Agriculturist Nascencia Abad who in turn handed over the facilities to include two backpack sprayers from the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Naval to the barangay captains concerned and presidents of the four farmers associations.

On the same occasion, Dr. De la Cruz disclosed to the farmers associations that a total of 11 botanical concoction centers were given to Western Visayas and the municipality of Naval received four.

He said, the regional office finds the municipality deserving of such aid because it has been using organic farming since 2008, even before the department pushed for organic farming.

They are assured the facilities will be utilized of its intended use and will never stand a white elephant wasting government funds, Dr. De la Cruz added.

Nascencia Abad, municipal agriculturist of LGU-Naval thanked the farmers associations for their cooperation and support to the municipality’s agriculture programs and projects particularly on organic farming.

The beneficiary-farmers associations are into vermicast and organic foliar fertilizer production which they sell to farmers at a much lower price compared to commercial fertilizers and pesticides.

Their agricultural products are also available at the Naval organic trading post.

DA-Western Visayas also turned-over to LGU-Naval one unit of rainshelter located at the evacuation center of Naval town in Barangay Talustusan to be used as the municipality’s nursery where vegetable seeds and planting materials are produced and to be distributed to farmers, according to Dr. De la Cruz. (PIA)