Gov. Erico Aumentado yesterday strongly pushed for Bohol's organic agriculture after inducting the Bohol Organic Agriculture Management Council (BOAMC) created by his Executive Order No. 20.
Aumentado said the launching of the Bohol Greenlife Program is a sequel to the provincial government's Bohol Green Project which seeks the rehabilitation of the major river watersheds in the province which provide water for irrigation, waterworks, power, and flood control.
The provincial government has a joint venture with the Department of ENviroment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the ABS-CBN Foundation Bantay Kalikasan to rehabilitate the Loboc River Watershed and the Abatan River Watershed.
It is also in tandem with DENR and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to reforest the Wahig-Pamacsalan River Watershed which provides water to Bohol's mega irrigation facilities with the Malinao Dam, the Bayongan Dam and the Capayas Dam as the main beneficiaries in providing water to about 11,000 hectares of riceland in the northeast basin of the province.
Aumentado declared his full support in organic agriculture to restore the soil fertility and nutrients in the farmlands and increase the yield of agricultural production in a more sustainable process.
He ordered a technical working group (TWG) to work on developing more organic fertilizer facilities in Bohol to provide the necessary wherewithals for organic farming.
The governor said he will include the TWG recommendation in his budget proposal for the Rice Accelerated Enhancement Response (Racer) project of plant now pay later hybrid rice and fertilize now and pay later programs.
The governor has allotted P30 million as revolving fund for Racer, and this could easily reach P40 million in 2010 since agriculture, together with tourism, is the major economic driver of Bohol and he wants to sustain Bohol's agricultural primacy in Central Visayas.