COTABATO CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAR-ARMM), in cooperation with the DAR provincial office of Maguindanao, held a two-day Natural Farming System Training in Datu Odin Sinsuat,
The training provided agrarian reform beneficiaries in the province an opportunity to develop their own farming plans. Before the training proper started, the rationale and objectives of the activity was explained by Rebecca R. Bautista of the DAR regional office.
Training team leader, Noemi P. Barretto also of DAR-ARMM, explained that natural farming system, specifically the ‘EMExtended’ and ‘Bokashi’, harness natural fertilization to achieve cost-efficient and environment-friendly crop production.
EM stands for Effective Microorganisms as coined and created by Dr. Terou Higa of Japan, she said. On the other hand, Bokashi is a Japanese word which means “fermented organic matter,” she further explained.
Under the EM Extended system, a one-liter bottle of fertilizer contains molasses and three major types of microorganisms such as photosynthetic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts. Bokashi composting involves an anaerobic process that relies on inoculated bran to ferment organic material in a tightly closed container. (Bureau of Public Information)
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