OrganicAgricultureNarrativeReport(asofDecember2017)

MFO2.1ProductionSupportServicesTheOrganicAgricultureProgram(OAP)coordinatedwith theDA-RFO8Stations for thecontinuous production and distribution of inputs to attain at least 5% conversion ofRegion’s agricultural areas to organic farming. The scheme of the Program assures thesufficientandtimelysupplyofproductioninputsandservicesdirectlytofarmers.Stationsinvolved in the Production Support Services were the Regional Crop Protection Center(RCPC), Regional Soils Laboratory (RSL), Abuyog Experiment Station (AES), BabatngonExperiment Station (BES), Salcedo Satellite Station, Sogod Satellite Station and San JorgeExperimentStation(SJES).VermicastandVermiwormsDistributedVermicast and vermiworm distribution are one of the interventions of OAP which arealternativestosyntheticfertilizers.Althoughthereleaseofnutrientsofvermicastisslowerthan synthetic fertilizers, farmers prefer its usage because it does not only increase thealkalinityofthesoil,butalso,itrejuvenatesthesoilfertility,increasesmicrobialactivitiesand maintains the long-term crop productivity. OAP makes use of the vermicast beingproduced by the DA-Stations and distributed to farmers. To date, 20,910 kilograms ofvermicastwerealreadydistributedto190farmerswith105%accomplishmentversustheannualtarget.Theseweredistributedto20municipalitiescoveringaround0.7hectaresoftheOA farmareas. Inaddition,DAstationswithVCFsnamely:AES,BES, SJESandSogodSatelliteStationalsoprovidedinitialstockofvermiwormstofarmersforvermicomposting.Asoftodate,thestationsalreadydistributed42kgvermiwormsto17farmergroupsin7municipalities.

Figure2VermiwormdistributionFigure1Vermicastdistribution

MolassesdistributedRFO 8’s OAP distributed molassesregion-widetosupportandsustaintheproduction of natural farm inputs.These were distributed to organicfarmers in 100 municipalities regionwide.Naturalfarminputs(eg.Botanicalconcoctions) are used as growthpromoter and bio-pesticides for thecontrolofpests/diseasesinthefield.Asof to date, 3,760 liters of molassesdistributed to 103 groups and 337individuals and attained 100% versus

theannualtarget.SeedsdistributedThe immediate supply of high qualityorganic rice seeds by the farmersresorted to the production in the DA-San Jorge Experiment Station. TheOrganic rice producedwere the uplandrice- Kalinayan and lowland rice-GreenSuper Rice (GSR). These varieties aresuitable for extreme conditions whichhelped the farmers increase theirproductivity even the fluctuations ofclimaticconditionsintheregion.Asoftodate, OAP already distributed 1,060 kgorganic rice seeds to 26 farmers. Thedistribution will be completed thisDecember2017.BiologicalControlAgents(BCA)distributedRelative to the management of insect pests and plant pathogens, DA-Stations massproducedanddistributedtheBCAsnamely:Trichogrammasp.,earwigsandMetarrhiziumsp.Eachbiocontrolagenthasdifferentmodeofcontroltoinsectpestsandpathogens.ForTrichogramma sp., they are parasitoids attacking specific eggs of lepidopterous insectpests.T.chilonis,T.evanescence,T.japonicumparasitizeseggsofvegetablesfruitandshootborers,cornborersandricestemborers,respectively. Todate,RCPCalreadydistributed

Figure3Molassesdistribution

Figure4Organicriceseedsdistribution

13,570trichocards to80 farmersandserved22Municipalitieswitha90%accomplishedversusannualtarget.Likewise, earwigswere also distributed by the Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC).Earwigsarewidehost-rangepredatorsthatcontrolvariousinsectpests.Earwigsattackedtheaphids,mitesandmealybugsinfestingorganiccorncropsandeffectivelyreducedthepest infestation. RCPC already distributed 22,625 earwig colonies with 75%accomplishmentduringtheperiod.AbuyogExperimentStationisresponsibleinthemass

productionanddistributionofMetarrhizium sp. -oneof thebiocontrolagents in the fieldasidefromparasitoidsandpredators.Literaturerevealedabout70-80%infectionofinsectpests such as rice black bug, rhinoceros beetle larvae, and jackfruit fruit borers, treatedwithmetarrhizium.Theinfectedlarvaeshowedmummifiedappearancebecausetheentirebodies are already coveredwithmycelial growths 6 days after inoculation. Todate, AESalready distributed 4,429 bags of metarhizium which reached 69% versus the annualtargetserving266farmersin20municipalities.Expectedly,reductionofpestinfestationsandyieldincreasewereexperiencedbyvariousfarmerbeneficiariesparticularlyjackfruitgrowers.WoodvinegardistributedRCPC produced and distributed wood vinegar inthe region.Wood vinegar is a biopesticide aswellas soil conditioner that can control fungal andbacterial plant pathogens while enhancing thegrowth and development of crops. To date, RCPCdistributed 2,650 liters of wood vinegar in 15Municipalities.

Figure6Trichogrammasp.distribution Figure5EarwigDistributionFigure7Metarrhiziumspdistribution

PlantingmaterialsdistributedOrganicAgriculturePrograminitiatedthedistributionofplantingmaterials to farmers insupporttoorganic livestockproductionandjackfruit industry intheregion.Trichantheragiganthea also known as madre de agua is anitrogen-rich forage crop used as foodsupplement for feeds to livestock and also invermicomposting because of low C:N ratiowhich can easily be decomposed and digestedby vermiworms. As of to date, 1000 pc T.giganthea were already distributed to12municipalities.On the other hand, OAP distributed graftedjackfruittoorganicfarmerswhohavetechnicalskills in organic jackfruit production and itscommercialization.AbuyogExperiment Stationisin-chargedintheproductionanddistributionof the sweetest variety of jackfruit known asEVIARC sweet being funded by OAP. As of todate, 780 pieces of grafted jackfruit are already distributed to organic farmers whichcovered5hectaresforexpansionoforganicareas.ConductofSoilanalysisThe Regional Soils Laboratory spearheadedin theanalysisof soil samples todeterminethefertilitystatusoftheproductionareasoforganic farmers. A total of 50 soil sampleswere analyzed from 50 organic farmerpractitioners in the region. Soil sampleswere gathered from 10 municipalitiesregion-wide.

Figure8Woodvinegardistribution

Figure9Graftedjackfruitdistribution

Figure10Soilsamplesanalyzed

DA-StationsUpgraded

A. RegionalSoilsLaboratoryOrganicAgricultureProgramprioritizedtheupgrading of the Regional Sols Laboratoryfor the analyses of soil, fertilizer and plantproperties through the procurement ofAtomic Absorption Spectrophotometer(AAS). AAS can analyze the presence ofmicronutrientsandheavymetalsofthesoil,organic fertilizer and plant parts whichfacilitated the accurate fertilizerrecommendation and certification of farms.

AASprocuredamountingto9MwasdeliveredlastNovember2017.

B. DA-OrganicRiceProducingStations

OAP procured 2 units mini threshers, 1 unithand tractor and 1 unit floating tiller for theDA-Abuyog Experiment Station and DA- SanJorge Experiment Station to produce organicrice without co-mingling with the otherequipment being used in the conventionalfarming. The equipment helped in thesustainability of the project and means ofshowcasing of the technology to organicfarmers that can be replicated in their farms.The equipment are being used in theproductionofuplandriceandlowlandrice.OrganicriceseedsproducedwillbedistributedwithinDecembertoorganicfarmers.

Figure11ProcurementofAtomicAbsorptionSpectrophotometerfortheupgradingofRegionalSoilsLaboratory

Figure12Procurementof2unitsminithreshers,1unithandtractorand1unitfloatingtillerfortheDA-AbuyogExperimentStationandDA-SanJorgeExperimentStation

MFO2.3ExtensionSupportServicesPlanningWorkshopsConductedSeries of workshops were conducted perprovincetoguidetheLGUsincraftingtheirplansand policies as blueprint in facilitating programimplementation. The participants were alsoencouragedtoincorporatetheformulatedplanintheirannualinvestmentplanasthefrontlineroforganic agriculture program implementation. Inaddition,theyweregivenwithmonitoringformsfrom theNOAPSecretariat tohave a continuousmonitoring and submission of reports to theRegional OAP andNOAP. Thesewere conductedin Tacloban City, Sogod, Catbalogan City,CatarmanandBoronganCity.

Consultation/TechnicalBriefingofOAStakeholdersA small group meeting was conducted to selected farmers to exchange insights andlearninginrelationtoorganicfarmingadaption.FarmersweremembersofEasternVisayasOrganicFamersProducersCooperative (EVOPAC)who came fromvariousMunicipalitiesnamely:Capoocan,Alang-alang,Sta.Rita,Julita,Palo,Abuyog,Tunga,TaclobanCity,Javier,Villareal,JaroBabatngonandTabontabon.TheFGDwasassitedbytheRAFISandOrganicAgriculture to program in order address some of their concerns and possible technicalassistancefromtheprogram.ParticipationtoNationalOrganicAgricultureCongress(NOAC)Organic farmers and stakeholdersparticipated the National OrganicAgriculture Congress last October 23-25,2017 in Cagayan de Oro City. Theparticipants were exposed on the recenttechnologies in organic farming fromproduction topostharvest handling throughpresentation of the completed BAR fundedprojects. Farmers enhanced their technical

knowledge in terms of marketing throughvalue adding of organic produce in order to

Figure14Dr.CarlosS.delaCruzwasrecognizedasoneoftheoutstandingOrganicAgricultureFocalPersons.

Figure13PlanningWorkshopconducted

createamarketniche.Theywerealsoencourage to practice organic backyard gardening through diversified farming and thecertification of organic farms. Dr. Carlos S. de la Cruz was recognized as one of theoutstandingOrganicAgricultureFocalPersons.CertificationAssistanceSixfarmswereassistedbytheProgramtoapplyforthirdpartycertification.FarmswereinspectedbytheNICERTlastDecember11-15,2017.Statuswere:Bendicar Farm Crops – Black & red rice, vegetables, rootcrops (cassava and sweetpotato)andpineappleDec.11,2017MerlissaGarcia&RomelSolidum•Improvethefarmplantomoredetailedlikestatingthemaincropandrotationalcropperarea.•Thereshouldbeadailyjournalforriceproductionactivities•ProvideHarvestingandsalesrecordpercropthenajournalfortheconsolidated•SubmitletterrequesttoNICERTfortheuseofspecificvegetablesseedswhicharestillcommercial(treated)TrophyFarmMushroomDec.12,2017RomelSolidum•ImprovebiosecurityprotocoltoavoidtheoccurrenceofcontaminantstothesubstrateJEFSPARice(Blackandredrice)Dec.12,2017MerlissaGarcia•ImproveProduction(atleast2cropping),Harvestandsalesrecord•Naming/Demarcationofareaorlotforefficienttraceabilityofproduce• Make an Operational Manual for the rice production especially incorporating theRIDUKUtechnologyCanaan Hill Farm Crops - Vegetables (green onions, squash, tomato, lettuce andkangkong),bananaand46varietiesoffruittreesDec.13,2017MerlissaGarcia&RomelSolidum•Provideinventoryoffruittrees(bearingandnon-bearing)•Detailedfarmplanastonos.ofhillperlot/area•Totalharvestperkgs.perfruittree•Improvedemarcationofvegetablesastopopulationdensityperplotandharvest/yieldperplotpervegetablecrop.OgatFarmRice(blackandredrice)Dec.14,2017RomelSolidum•DetailedFarmmapindicatingboundariesonfourdirection•Providespecific/actualsizeofareaperlot•BuilddiversioncanalstopreventcontaminationMiguelPedrosoFarmJackfruitDec.14,2017MerlissaGarcia•ProvidebuffertotheareawhichthereisanadjacentricefieldLaGranjadeReynaVgeetables(lettuce,tomato,pepper,kangkong,carrotsandcabbage)Dec.15,2017MerlissaGarcia&RomelSolidum•SubmitletterrequesttoNICERTfortheuseofcommercialseeds•Specificlabelanddemarcationperareaperplotandactualsizeperarea.

IECmaterialsdistributedForOrganic Agriculture, a radio plug on ‘Organic Trading Post’was aired 90 times overDYABradiostation.RAFISalsopublishedfivepressreleasesfororganicagriculture-relatednewsitems. Atotalof2,000IECmaterialsareduefordistributiononcedeliveredbythesupplierwithinthisDecember,2017.MFO5.PAEFOrganic Agriculture Program provided the production and postharvest equipment andfacilitiestofarmerswhoarealreadypracticingorganicfarming.Theinterventionsfacilitatetheir farm operation starting from land preparation to marketing of organically grownproductsandavoidanceintheco-minglingwiththeconventionalfarming’sequipmentandfacilities.Todate, farmersfrom15municipalitiesalreadyreceived2unitsbrushcutter,1unit hammer mill, 12 units knapsack sprayer, 2 units vermi tea brewer, 2 unitsgreenhousesand1unitvacuumsealer.Theequipmentandfacilitiespromotetheproductcompetivenessinthemarket.

Figure16Vermiteabrewerdistribution Figure15Vacuumpacksealerdistribution

FinancialUtilizationAsofNovember30,2017,OrganicAgricultureProgramattained97%obligationand39%disbursementofthetotalbudget.

ANNUALALLOCATION

(A)

JAN-NOV JAN–NOV

BED1 BED3 Amt %vsBED3

(B) Amt %vsANNUAL (C) (C1) (B2)

(B1) (B2)

GRANDTOTAL

11,091.00 10,964.00 10,758.61 98.13 97 9,532.00 3,733.73 5,798.27 39.17

PSS 4,833.00 4,788.00 4,661.05 97.35 96.44 4,674.00 957.28 3,716.72 20.48MDS 1,100.00 1,100.00 1,081.66 98.33 98.33 520 1,081.66 -561.66 208.01ESETS 2,091.00 2,049.00 1,973.56 96.32 94.38 1,311.00 1,428.56 -117.56 108.97AFMEFS 3,067.00 3,027.00 3,042.34 100.51 99.2 3,027.00 266.24 2,760.76 8.8

MFO OBLIGATION

(P‘000)

DISBURSEMENT

(P‘000)ACCOMP ACCOMP

Variance(C2)

%vsBED1(B2)

Figure18Greenhouseestablishment Figure17Knapsacksprayerdistribution