Farmers in Tabalong apply environmentally-friendly farming

Tanjung, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Kambitin Village was quite unknown as a producer of organic vegetables before 2017, when mostly farmers here chose to farming conventinally or planting rubber.

Then the Adaro Bangun Negeri Foundation (YABN) introduced organic farming in this village dan gave training for farmers who wanted to switch from chemical to organic farming.

At first, said Amatul Firdausa, a person in charge of organic farming from YABN, only fiver farmers who took part in 1,5 hectare demonstration plot.

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But the number afterward grew to 35 to form Organic Farmers Group (KTO) who applied environmentally-friendly farming in Kambitin Village at their respective land. "After the socialization now 20 new farmers followed a commitment to put use of organic farming," he said.

YABN then facilitated technical trainings for the new farmers until they could transmit ways to manage soil and how to make solid to liquid fertilizer and making vegetable perticides.

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They cooperated with the University of Lambung Mangkurat's Faculty of Agriculture majoring Agro Technology as resource person. Farmers here received assistance on how to run organic farming.

Jumat, MA from the Agriculture Faculty said by utilizing easily available materials farmers can make fertilizer and vegetable perticides with a cheaper price than chemical agriculture materials sold in the market.

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An example is making liquid fertilizer from cow urine to mix with other materials, such as cane sugar, galangal, ginger and tobacco which has been fermented.

YABN expected to give evidence to farmers and to dismiss the notion that organic farming is expensive, and difficult to be developed, and to suppor the sovereignty of food.