Negros Occ. Board Member Miller Serondo cited the efforts of the province in producing organic products to make Negros Island the organic food bowl of Asia.
In his speech during the recent opening of the 6th Negros Island Organic famers Festival, he said there are now about 3,000 farmer-practitioners who are certified or in the process of converting to organic farming and with almost 50 partners coming from LGUs, GOs and NGOs.
There are also a total of 28 certified producers and processors of various organic products for crops and other products.
Some 81.85 hectares are now certified as organic farms and 185 hectares are in the process for certification for a total of 266.85 hectares.
Certified sugarcane areas have now reached 23756 hectares.
On herb vegetables and fruits certification, 184.84 hectares. have already been covered. About 70.84 ectares are already certified while 114 are in process.
More than 330 hectares coffee plantation are already certified with 284 hectares more are on process for a total of 579.90 hectares.
The province has a total of 1,269.15 hectares of land developed into organic farms.
The Negros Occ. government has certified 6 companies while 11 are in process and have also established 10 pilot organic villages established.
Serondo said it was the late Gov. Joseph Marañon with former Negros Oriental Gov. George Arnaiz and now Congressman of Negros Oriental who signed the MOA to make the island the organic food bowl of Asia way back in April 2005.
Incumbent Gov. Alfredo Marañon., an avid organic farming advocate, strengthened that goal by allocating P10million funding for organic projects and activities.
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