In Zamboanga del Sur, a group of women-farmers
dubbed “Kahugpungan sa Mag-uumang Kababayen-an” (KASAMAKA) was established in
Barangay Tigbao in 2006 purposely to promote organic farming.
Organic
agriculture
KASAMAKA project coordinator Teodolita Suano said
the organization is responsible for raising awareness about organics not only
among fellow members but the public as well.
“We ventured into organic agriculture because
most farmers have engaged in various kinds of chemical fertilizers, pesticides
and insecticides which cause severe health and environmental impacts,” said
Suano who has been working with the organization for seven years.
Suano said KASAMAKA members engaged in organic agriculture because it enables farmers to adapt
to climate change and provide plausible solution to end hunger and ensure food
security.
“We have expanded our goal to also help promote
environmental protection, sustainable agriculture and healthy life by eating
organic foods,” she stressed.
“Organic agriculture has become the fastest
growing segment of the industry and the public has become very aware of organic
products,” she explained.
Demo
farm
KASAMAKA has three-hectare demonstration farm for
organic rice, vegetables
and root crops production and livestock production as well as upland farming and
seed banking. It has also an organic
fertilizer processing and production center.
Suano
said it is on this farm where women-farmers do organic agriculture. “We have already
sold organically grown crops in the market such as rice, corn and vegetables,” Suano said.
Increased
agricultural productivity
Suano said they had noticed that with organic
farming, their production increased leaps and bounds, as organic farming would
build long-term soil fertility.
“All our crops such as rice, corn, vegetables and
root crops planted in the demo farm were all “organic” and we successfully sold them in the market,” Suano declared.
Funding
organizations
Impressed by its success, KASAMAKA received
financial assistance from Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid
(CORDAID), a Dutch Catholic Development Organization which caters to all
aspects of development cooperation: emergency aid, structural poverty
alleviation and health care.
CORDAID granted financial assistance in the
amount of P5.3 million including a budget for the fertilizer center worth P300
thousand. The assistance, which was granted in 2006, had terminated in 2011
upon seeing improvement in production efficiency.
In 2009, KASAMAKA’s non-government organization
(NGO)-partners such as Entraide Et Fraternite, Luxembourg-Phils., Action for
Development and WEGA Aide Humanitaire in Luxembourg donated solar power package
worth P600 thousand, while the Belgian
government donated one unit of thresher.
In July 2012, the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST) granted a loan of P258 thousand for the purchase of rice mill
while the Department of Agriculture (DA) provided a shredder.
The Convergence of NGOs/POs in Zamboanga del Sur
on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (CONZARRD), Inc., another NGO-partner
responsible in providing assistance on technology transfer to farmers, came to assist
the organization.
”The farm implements that we had received from
our partners from government and NGOs have greatly helped in the successful
operation of our demo farm,” said the KASAMAKA project coordinator.
Extends
financial assistance
In its seven years of existence, the KASAMAKA has
32 barangay chapters that received financial assistance from their mother
organization.
“We have extended P30 thousand to each chapter
which is engaged in organic agriculture,” Suano said.
Suano said 20 out of the 32 barangay chapters
have improved economically. Their seed money grew to more than P100 thousand as
a result of a successful implementation of organic agriculture in their
respective barangays. (PIA9)