REMAI ALEJADO
Provincial Press Bureau
Online contributor
PAGADIAN CITY--The JH Cerilles State College (JHCSC) is in the process of revitalizing an environment-friendly technology of turning wastes into organic fertilizers.
This effort is in line with the thrust of the Cerilles administration in its advocacy of organic farming, increase crop yield while improving soil health.
Called vermi-composting, this technology uses earthworms to convert wastes into organic fertilizer using any raw materials like rice straws; coconut saw dust, coco coir, madre de cacao leaves and household wastes such as rotten vegetables.
For this plan to work, a training on vermi-composting production technology and planning workshop was held at Hotel Alindahaw.
The project will be started within this year and is predicted to be viable by 2011.
Governor Aurora Cerilles expressed her delight with the college’s initiative.
“I appreciate of your involvement, especially to the key leaders and program directors from the Regional Vermicompost and Vermimeal Production Center and the JH Cerilles State College for instituting this important undertaking,” Cerilles said.
“Having proven the viability and high agricultural production turn-out of this technology, apart from its ecological advantage and health benefits, we have good reasons to pursue its spread and application among our farmers,” she added.
The governor further hoped that such project will be soon available to the rural farmers, recalling how she advocated organic agriculture in 2006.
A vermicomposting plant that processes household wastes into vermicompost is located in Dao, this city, and will soon sell its produce at P250 per bag.
August, last year, JCHSC was declared as Regional Vermicompost and Vermimeal Production Center in Region IX, DA’s Agnes Riñon and concurrent project leader of Vermicompost production center, said.
JHCSC’s vermicompost plant project involved a wormery, site development, salaries and wages of technicians and farm workers, and subsidies to vermicast farmers, all to the tune of P1-million.
Since its establishment, several farmers from Dumingag, Mahayag, Molave, Tambulig, Ramon Magsaysay, Guipos, Tigbao, San Miguel and this city were able to catch its technology and benefited from it.