FEATURE STORY

Q & A

On organic agriculture

by Jayralyn Siddayao and Christian Robert Sandoval

 

OCCP registration

 

L

eilani K. Limpin, the Organic Certification Center of the Philippines (OCCP) Executive Director, after being asked about the certification of producers of organic products replied that “farmers must undergo a process that requires them to pay fees.”

 

The application fee is Php 2,000. She added that individual certification costs Php 25,000 and the inspection fee is Php 5,000 per day plus other costs that will be charged to the requesting party.

 

Allowable chemical residues

 

Dr. Leonila M. Varca, freelance expert from the University of the Philippines Los Baňos said that there is a matrix for the allowable levels of chemical residues in agricultural products like vegetable, Compare the level of the said residue with the allowable MRL based on the standards set by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

 

She said that if the MRL is lower than .05, it is okay.

 

Varca noted that the residue present on peelings is different from that which is found inside the product itself. She also reminded that being particular with the surface residue is of great importance.

 

“Since the 1990’s, the pesticide kit was promoted to determine the MRL on food crops acceptance from the farmers. A study regarding the reasons as to why farmers do not accept it?” one of the participants asked. The free lance expert said that it is because the farmers think of themselves as better off than scientists.

 

Korean Farming Systems

 

Engr. Eric Tinoyan is a local practitioner of Korean Natural Farming Systems (KNFS), which is already gaining support and actual practice in the country.

 

Tinoyan said that his products have undergone required analysis and that the papers had been submitted to the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) for registration purposes. However, he said that there is no result or final approval yet—the precise reason why his products are still sold at the lowest price.

 

Regarding diseases of pests, Tinoyan recommended to ferment tomatoes and feed them with it.

 

Concerning mangoes, one participant noticed in his farm that after flowering, the flowers would just fall. Tinoyan said that burying of dead animals under the tree is effective because it adds additional nutrient specifically calcium phosphate. //