NEGROS OCCIDENTAL HOSTS12TH NATIONAL ORGANIC AGRICULTURE CONGRESS

The Province of Negros Occidental, tagged as the country’s organic farming capital, plays host to the 12th National Organic Agriculture Congress (NOAC) on November 25 to 27 at SMx Convention Center, Bacolod City.

Around 1,800 organic agriculture farmers, traders, processors, academe members, researchers, local government units and advocates will convene in this year’s NOAC on the theme “Halin Talamnan, Tubtub Kalan-an” (Farm to Table). The congress will be simultaneously conducted with the 10th Negros Island Organic Farmers’ Festival (NIOFF) on November 25 to 29.

The congress will commence at the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol Grounds with the opening ceremony of the NIOFF and a foot parade going to Bacolod- SM City.

Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, Senator Cynthia A. Villar, Undersecretaries Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and Atty. Emerson U. Palad will grace the congress. Mr. Andre Leu, president of International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM) will be the keynote speaker.

Series of breakout and plenary sessions will be conducted from the first up to the second day. Participants will be divided into three groups for the breakout sessions for beginners, research and marketing with topics ranging from organic farming technologies to retailing and distribution of organic products and farm to table processing.

Sec. Alcala will lead the granting of citations and cash prizes to the winners of the eight categories in the 2015 search for Outstanding Agricultural Achievers to wit: Agricultural Extension Worker,   City/Municipal, Provincial, City/Municipal Focal Person, Provincial Focal Person, Organic Farming Family, Farmers’ Group and Small Individual Farmer categories. The municipality of Tugbungan, Iloilo is chosen as the outstanding organic municipality and will receive a cash grant of P1, 000,000.00 to further augment their town’s initia-tives and projects in support to organic agriculture.

Some 20 organic farmers associations, distributers and retailers will participate in the three-day Organic Agriculture Trade Fair and Exhibits at the 3rd floor of SM City.

Participants from different regions will tour to several established organic farms in Negros Occidental like the Rapha Valley in Salvador Benedicto, Peñalosa Farms in Victorias City, Buro- Buro Spring Farm in Talisay City, among others on November 27./MP