Balete, Aklan — The Aklan Provincial Organic Producers Association (APOPA) on Monday launched its inaugural Organic Agriculture Congress at Bullo Hillside Integrated Farm.
Representatives of the Department of Agriculture, the Provincial Agriculturist Office, and the Provincial Agriculture and Fisheries Council-Aklan, among others, participated in the two-day event.
APOPA president Godynel Isedenia said they organized the congress to boost the production of organic farming in the province.
“The congress was organized to unite our organic farmers and discuss among ourselves the issues and challenges now being faced in organic farming,” Isedenia said.
APOPA is a group of farmers and entrepreneur-turned-farmers in the province who underwent training on organic vegetable production previously conducted by the Agricultural Training Center-Western Visayas.
“For several years, the demand for organic food in Boracay has been sourced out from other provinces as far as Baguio City. I urged our organic farmers to take this challenge of providing the needed demand of food of tourists and residents from our own,” Provincial Agriculture Office chief and engineer Alexys Apolonio said.
Meanwhile, Balete Mayor Dexter Calizo said the Sanguniang Bayan of this town just enacted the organic agriculture ordinance: “We hope the Aklan province would do the same.”
