A lawmaker has called for the passage of a bill that will promote the use of chemical-free agricultural methods to spare farmers from the high cost of fertilizers and the environment from the hazards of chemical-based farming.

Quezon Rep. Proceso Alcala said it is high time that his proposed Organic Farming Act of 2008 be passed considering the galloping cost of chemical inputs used in farming.

The bill establishes a comprehensive organic farming program and designates a dedicated body to provide policy direction towards the promotion of organic farming.

Alcala maintained that farmers must and should always be the main beneficiary in the agricultural cycle.

“A farmer is a farmer. Rain or shine, profitable or not, he will still continue to farm, whatever happens,” he said.

“I have carefully studied the agricultural system which, almost often than not, fertilizer suppliers and resellers stand to gain from. This leaves farmers with profit disproportionate to the amount of backbreaking labor they’ve provided, from planting to harvesting.”

“The methods I am proposing will make sure farmers will have the largest piece of the pie. And most of all, this eco-friendly system will guarantee the restoration of lost nutrients and minerals in the land they till, and will provide a healthy produce for the consumer’s benefit,” Alcala said.

Mindful of the amount of time composting consumes before fertilizers are produced, Alcala proposes that farmers and local government units be actively involved in propagating and enhancing organic agriculture.