DA Sec. Domingo Panganiban and LPP Pres. Gov. Erico B. Aumentado signing the Memorandum of Understanding between the LPP and DA for the advocacy and promotion of composting of rice straw.

The League of Provinces of the Philippines has counted itself in as a partner of the Department of Agriculture in the advocacy on the promotion of rice straw composting for environment preservation.

In line with this, 21 provinces have been chosen as pilot areas for the Rapid Composting Techno Demo Farms under the “Support System for the Rapid Composting Program” of the DA’s Bureau of Soil and Water Management.

The DA, led by Agriculture Sec. Domingo F. Panganiban formally launched the Unified Campaign for Composting and Prevention of Rice Straw Burning during a special meeting of the LPP last April 25.

League president Gov. Erico B. Aumentado said he is confident that his colleagues would strongly support the program initiated by the DA since it could help the provinces improve their agriculture with less expense because organic fertilizers cost much less than its commercial counterparts.

The project’s objective is to increase production, and consequently the income of rice farmers, through the judicious use of chemical fertilizers in combination with organic fertilizers and compost from farm wastes.

As a key partner of the Organic-Based Agriculture: Agri-Kalikasan Program, the league is expected to actively promote the composting of rice straw, campaign for and ensure that the provinces and the municipalities under it are able to pass the local ordinances banning rice straw burning.

Governors receive the P500,000 financial assistance each for the establishment of the Rapid Composting Techno-Demo Farms in their respective provinces from the Agri-Kalikasan Program of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM).

On the other hand, the 21 provinces chosen to pilot the Rapid Composting Techno Demo Farms are Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Quirino, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Quezon, Occidental Mindoro, Romblon, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Oriental, Bohol, Leyte, Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental, Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur, North Cotabato and Agusan del Sur.

Aside from the passage of the local ordinances against rice straw burning, each of the 21 pilot provinces are expected to be able to set up 80 hectares of Rapid Composting Techno Demo-Farms, with the technical assistance from personnel of the BSWM and promote and implement the recycling of farm and home wastes for the production of compost.

The project is part of the DA’s project, “Support System for the Rapid Composting Program, funded through a P250 million grant from the Government of Japan. (ANGELICA J. SANCHEZ)

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