CABARROGUIS, Quirino—The OceanaGold Sustainable Agroforestry Inc.’s (Ogsai) 4.5-hectare central nursery and organic demonstration farm located uphill in Barangay Tucod here has recently been certified as an organic agriculture learning site by the Department of Agriculture (DA) Agricultural Training Institute in Region 2 or Cagayan Valley.
OceanaGold (Philippines) Inc. (Ogpi) established Ogsai to operate and manage the company’s reforestation commitments and obligations in the Philippines while establishing enterprise development through agroforestry, commercial tree plantations, wood-resource utilization and trade of various agroforestry products, in partnership with local farmers.
Part of the enterprise development deal is the establishment of an integrated organic or natural farming-demonstration farm to serve as training ground for community partners and other local farmers.The sustainable development and management of an integrated organic agriculture demonstration farm in the village paved the way for Ogsai to get the accreditation from DA-Agricultural Training Institute.
As part of its continuing efforts to ensure a productive and healthy community, the Australian firm is revitalizing agriculture that encourages more villagers to plant organically nutritious vegetables and fruits right in their own backyards.
“Like what we always emphasize, mining and agriculture can coexist so it is precisely of this reason that we established a training center to educate our local farmers on proper organic-crop production and postharvest techniques,” Ogpi Senior Vice President for Communications and External Affairs Chito Gozar said.
Hillside farmers at the mining village are now into large-scale vegetable farming. What used to be idle mountainside contours have been converted into productive vegetable gardens planted with organically grown vegetables.
The organic agriculture-demonstration farm expanded from high-value vegetable crops to include the production of fresh-water fish ponds, a chicken coop for free-range chicken, ducks and a native swine-grazing area.
The training center has a fully functional training facility capable of accommodating 30 participants for organic agriculture trainings, including lectures on related agriculture subjects, such as aquaculture, livestock production and vermiculture or the production of organic fertilizer from decomposed materials using earthworms.
The inaugural training on Basic Organic Farming was held on September 23 and 24. Initially, 23 community members from Didipio and neighboring villages participated in hands-on training.
“We want to keep sustainable environmental compliance with our advance rehabilitation programs and the trendy organic agriculture to keep OceanaGold institutionalized as a ‘green’ environment-friendly mining company,” Ogsai Chairman Jose Leviste Jr. said.
Image credits: Leonardo Perante II