BY SAMIE WAIKORI
AUKI
LOCAL farmers are encouraged to dwell more on organic farming method of farming.
Kastom Gaden Agriculture Technician, Mr Jack Kalisto made the statement in an interview saying it’s a simple way of farming that requires almost everything provided by nature.
He said representing a local NGO advocating and promoting organic farming, they’ve been successful in their work with farmers across the country.
Kalisto said for decades, they brought to farmers basic organic farming techniques that help them and continue to help them in their farming.
“Like, currently Kastom Gaden is facilitating the implementation of the food security project which funded by FAO for farmers in three provinces in the country.
“And under the project we are looking at healthy and nutritious crops or sometimes known as color crops.
“Color crops refers to crops or vegetables with color yellow, orange and purple which said to have rich in nutrition and good for health,” he said.
Kalisto stressed that what organic farming is advocating is to ensure people feed on healthy and nutritious food that is free of risks of chemicals.
He said organic farming as Kastom Gaden is advocating is to encourage farmers to make great use of the surrounding vegetation as stimulant for farming.
“This is the natural fertilizer and less consideration should be on develop fertilizer that contains chemicals that harmful for our health.
“A simple way of organic method of farming was when clearing land for farming, don’t burn the bushes clear or throw them away. Keep them in the farm as they will be the fertilizer for the crops you’ll plant.
“There are many more ways of applying farming stimulation by organic activity that requires no harmful materials when consuming products coming out of it,” Kalisto said.
He said nowadays farmers tend to use more on morden fertilizer that is risky if not properly understand how to use it.
Kalisto said sometimes farmers apply fertilizers to crops or vegetables and when it still active on the plant, it harvest for consumption which pose a risk to the body.
He added that other area to consider were on how the soil will use the fertilizer. Sometimes the fertilizer will wash into rivers or sea and can be harmful for uses and sea creatures.
Kalisto stressed that fertilizer was developed for nutrient enrichment of soil, but proper application of it will only avoid harm for the human health.
Thus, he said organic farming method looked at avoiding potential risks of these areas and materials required for its application often richly available at your dispose.
