TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol. It is true that organic agriculture is the oldest way of farming but it looks like it’s the new trend today. To promote and update farmers with the new innovations in farming, the Agricultural Training Institute VII conducted the Training on Organic Agriculture for Para-technicians or KAABAG last June 28-30, 2017 held at ATI 7 Training Complex, Cabawan District, Tagbilaran City.

Twenty-four farmers from the municipalities of Clarin, Valencia, Balilihan, Carmen, Jagna and Dagohoy participated in the said training.

Farmers called as para-technicians/KAABAG are farmer-leaders assisting the Municipal Agriculture Offices in their respective Local Government Units to help other fellow farmers. With their responsibilities, para-technicians must be technically advance in terms of new technologies and innovations for them to be able to share with others. Among these technologies is organic agriculture.

Farmers adopt the principle of natural farming to improve the soil fertility rather than applying inputs directly to the plants or animals with the use of synthetic inputs like fertilizer, pesticides and antibiotics. They aim to lessen production costs and increase yield and profits as well as maintaining the resources of the farm.

Mr. Reyland ‘Jun’ Jabonillo, one of the resource person, emphasized that farming is not just about the area, location and more but it is also the passion of tending to green and live creatures either macroscopic or microscopic. Jabonillo cited their farm as an example during the field demonstration and quoted “There is no barren soil, only barren mind.”

He further encouraged participants to be innovative and patient.

Highlights of the said training include a series of discussions given by Ms. Artemia A. Gotardo and Mr. Jun Jabonillo with actual demonstration at Binhi sa Panginabuhian Farm. Participants prepared and harvested the different concoctions, mixed them with feeds and personally fed the animals in the farm.