HST farmer women develop organic farming

One of the agricultural counseling agents in Pandawan Sub-district, HST, practices the making of organic materials for women farming groups (Antaranews Kalsel / M. Taupik Rahman)

It seems that we can all apply and make ingredients from organics. They are widely available, cheap, and make it relatively easy,

Barabai, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Agricultural Counseling Center (BPP) of Pandawan Sub-district, Central Hulu Sungai (HST), provided the knowledge on the use of organic materials for agriculture to the Kelompok Tani Wanita (KWT) or farmer women group in Mahang Matang Landung Village on Friday.

The village agriculture instructor Nor Sabah Al Isnaini said this activity was carried out based on the wishes of the KWT members. KWT Teratai learned to make compost, while KWT Melati practiced making vegetable pesticides.

"We together tried to make 100 kg of compost with the composition of 60 kg of cow manure, 30 kg husk, 10 kg rice bran, 100 ml EM4, 100 gram sugar, and 5 liter water," said the instructor who had been fostering the village for two months.

While vegetable pesticides are made from a solution of soursop leaves with a composition of 100 sheets of soursop leaves, 100 grams of garlic, 15 grams of detergent, and 5 liters of water.

Pandawan Subdistrict Pest Observer (PHP) Sri Sumiati SP said the activity was very positive and it would be necessary to improve the introduction of organic materials in agriculture.

The Chair of the KWT Teratai Waginah expressed her interest in implementing organic farming. Even though she is new and inexperienced, she is optimistic she and other farmers can do it.

"It seems that we can all apply and make ingredients from organics. They are widely available, cheap, and make it relatively easy," she said.