DAR-ASSISTED FARMERS GET SUPPORT FOR VERMICAST BIZ

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has recently turned over farm machinery and equipment to a group of farmers in Uyugan, Batanes who are in the vermicast production business.

Vermicast is a mixture of castings of the lowly earthworm and uneaten bedding and feedstock harvested from worm beds.

In the process, earthworms are placed in a container filled with compost. The combination of organic wastes and earthworms is recycled and transformed into natural fertilizer, thereby turning waste products into natural soil food and nutrients.

Aside from farm machinery and equipment, the Dar-batanes field office also provided inputs to the members of the Milagrosa Multipurpose

Co-operative located in Barangay Itbud, Municipality of Uyugan, Batanes.

The vermicast production is a project being implemented through the Sustainable Livelihood Disaster Affected Area (SLDAA) program of DAR.

It also aims to provide an alternative source of livelihood and as a means to restore and rehabilitate areas affected by the impacts of climate change.

Dar-municipal agrarian reform program officer Jocelyn P. Flores said the initiative is part of the major cropbased block farm productivity enhancement project under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) and SLDAA project of DAR.

The FME and agri inputs provided for the cooperative’s vermicast production include one unit Power shredder (GR-1500, 35x350 with a cost of P375,000.00); one set grass cutter (UMK 435/4-stroke Honda worth P25,000.00); one unit four concrete paddocks of 3 feet x 10 feet worth P50,554.001; 4 kilos Vermi Worms wort hp 4,000.00;16 packs plastic packaging wort hp 1,536.00; and 2 sets of training worth P33,000. “The farm machinery will be a great help because it will enhance and sustain the agricultural productivity of the ARBS [agrarian reform beneficiaries] and turn waste products into soil food,” Flores said.

Milagrosa MPC Chairman Ms. Emily Balderas expressed her gratitude to the department on behalf of their association for exerting all efforts to help the farmers and the ARBS.