Philippines: organic rice farming

Iloilo Farmers encourage their fellow farmers to go into organic rice farming as they implemented the MASIPAG Organic Rice Farming Technology in Santa Barbara, Iloilo since July 2006. Mike Baylon, provincial coordinator of the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) in Negros Occidental supervised in that implementation at Peregrina Magbanua's farms. The village farmers led by Julius Talabor encouraged their fellow tillers to join the MASIPAG rice farming and technology.

Baylon brought with him 33 Masipag trial seeds for demonstration. These seeds were sown by them in July for mass production and eventually for dissemination to the other interested farmers. The farmers led by Talabor cooperated and showed a warm reception.

Organic rice varieties are more resilient to pests thus reduce the cost of farm inputs. Pollution from pesticides and fertilizers will also be minimized.