Iloilo City — The province of Iloilo is among the 21 provinces tapped for the establishment of modified rapid composting techno demo farms in the country, having a standing rice crop of about 1,800 hectares.

The promotion of organic-based agriculture program is a cost-reduction strategy embarked on by the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban said that the “Agri-Kalikasan” organic-based agriculture program has a start-up fund from Japan’s 2KR Program amounting to P246 million.

Panganiban said this will reduce the dependence of low-income farmers on oil-based fertilizers through the “Tipid-abono” technology, an organic-based balanced fertilization which will prevent soil fertility loss while restoring soil quality.

The other provinces included in the composting techno demo farms are Quirino, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Quezon, Occidental, Mindoro, Romblon, Capiz, Bohol, Negros oriental, Leyte, Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, North Cotabato and Agusan del Norte.

All in all, the program is being implemented in 56 target provinces, with the above-mentioned provinces as sites of the technology demonstration farms. (PIA 6)