LOS BAÑOS, Laguna: A group of organic farmers based here organized themselves to be able to strengthen their marketing and bargaining power in the local market.
Named as Los Baños Association of Organic Fruit and Vegetable Growers, the association was recently registered at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to ensure government’s support for its future projects.
The association is a member of the Laguna Organic Practitioners Federation (LOPF) that helps promote organic agriculture in the province. It is actively involved in Laguna Internal Control System (LagICS) Association that assists organic practitioners prepare for third party certification of organic farms and products.
The association is created under the project, Gender-Responsive Organic Vegetable Production Livelihood Enterprise for Low-income Communities of Los Baños Laguna funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) and is implemented by the municipal government of Los Baños.
Covering seven barangays (Bagong Silang, Timugan, Putho-Tuntungin, Bambang, Bayog, Malinta, and Mayondon), the project involves 125 farmer-cooperators who grow a variety of vegetables and fruits on individual and communal farms.
Aside from raising organic vegetables and fruits, the farmer-cooperators are also producing processed foods such as pickled papaya, pickled mustard, pickled garlic, spiced vinegar, sumang cassava, and peanut butter.