One heartening development in agriculture is that more and more people are getting interested in natural farming. We just got an e-mail from Maj. Noel J. Detoyato, public affairs officer of the newly activated AFP National Development Support Command (AFPNDSC).

"I have been following your section on agriculture and your articles are mostly on organic farming. I have been personally advocating organic farming or natural farming, as advocates term it, for years now. Just recently, the trend caught up with the officers and men of AFPNDSC and we included the advocacy on organic farming in our development projects."

He adds: "Our unit’s mission is to undertake developmental programs nationwide to establish a physically and psychologically secure environment conducive to socio-economic growth in support to the AFP mission. The farm to market road is part of the lines of operations of our unit and to sustain the usefulness of this project AFPNDSC included capacity building as a support activity. We chose organic farming as the avenue for the capacity building of the recipients of government projects."

To start the advocacy campaign, 54 officers and men of AFPNDSC led by Maj. Gen. Jaime Buenaflor attended a one- day natural farming seminar by Teresa Perez-Saniano at Earthkeepers in Tiaong, Quezon. Detoyato said the lecture was well appreciated by the participants and they vowed to support the advocacy on natural farming.

As of this date, two natural farming demo farms are being established in two army camps and more soldiers will be sent for training at Earthkeepers. The participants hope to re-echo the techniques and skills to other soldiers and civilians who are in the business of farming.

Meanwhile, training of farmers on natural farming continues at the Earthkeepers. One of those whose experiences will be harnessed soon is Macario Landicho of Brgy. Lumingon, Tiaong, Quezon. He has been growing rice the organic way since 1992. His favorite varieties are RC18 and Dinorado. He says that he usually harvests 140 to 150 cavans per hectare from his irrigated farm of two hectares.

RC18, he says, is high yielding and is resistant to pests and diseases. He sold his harvest of RC18 at R14 per kilo of palay earlier this year. His latest harvest of Dinorado was 146 cavans per hectare. He sold the palay at R17 per kilo.

He sees to it that his own rice straw is left in the field to decompose. His main fertilizer is the organic fertilizer he buys at R175 per bag of 50 kilos from Susi Foundation run by farming nuns.