Ormoc awarded for being best in organic agriculture

DA Regional Executive Director Leo Cañeda confers the Outstanding LGU Award on Organic Agriculture to Ormoc City. Avelina P. Molato receives the plaque in behalf of Dr. Joseph C. Cortes. On the same occasion, Molato was awarded as Outstanding Agriculture Extension Worker and Dr. Cortes the City Agriculturist award.

THE Agriculture Department conferred to Ormoc the title Best Local Government in Region 8 for Organic Implementation in the city category level. The title was given at the awarding of organic achievers during the 1^st Eastern Visayas Regional Agriculture Congress in Tacloban City on May 26.

Along with the award is a P300,000 cash prize which the City Agriculture Services Office (Caso) will utilize to implement a project providing inputs to organic vegetables and small ruminants. Specifically, Caso will give the prize money to Sustainable Organic Farming Advocates of Ormoc City (Sofaoc) and Independent Component City Agriculture and Fisheries Council (ICCAFC) to maximize their production to attain self-sufficiency.

Sofaoc will be given P200,000 to purchase molasses which is a major ingredient for organic concoctions like fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides. The money will also be used to purchase ultraviolet films for the protection of Sofaoc’s nurseries and plantations from heavy rainfall and direct sunlight. Under the scheme, Sofaoc beneficiaries will pay back the cost of the inputs after harvest so that the funds can be rolled back to cater to more farmers.

On the other hand, ICCAFC will be given P100,000 to purchase hybrid goats for its dispersal program. Under the scheme, ICCAFC beneficiaries will be made to pay back with two female goatlings for dispersal to other goat raisers in the future.