Eduardo Ybot, or Manong Eddie, is a farmer in the village of Inac, Magpet, North Cotabato, Philippines.
For almost two decades now, Manong Eddie has been producing safe and nutritious crops in his 2.4 hectare farm. Years of practicing organic farming have yielded benefits that have made him a firm advocate of this farming system.
Manong Eddie learned organic farming from his training on plant genetic resources conservation, development, and use (PGRCDU) conducted by SEARICE in his village in 1993. At the time, Manong Eddie’s fellow farmers in the village of Inac were using chemicals in their farms, unmindful of the negative effects on their health and on the environment.
“It was really hard to convince them to go organic,” recalls Manong Eddie. In fact, he himself was hesitant to practice organic farming at first because he knew that his harvest would be lower compared to non-organic farming. True enough, the initial yield from his farm decreased when he stopped using chemicals and synthetic fertilizers. Yet, he persisted and continued to promote his advocacy.
Today Manong Eddie’s farm models organic and integrated diversified farming system. His land boasts of long-term crops, such as cacao and coconut, short-term cash crops, vegetables, and seasonal crops, such as banana and rice. He produces his own fertilizers from locally available materials, even concocting his own pesticides like the liquid smoke he uses to control insect pests and diseases for his cacao and rice crops. He also has a number of livestock, such as chicken, duck and goat. This holistic approach helps ensure that his family has a sustainable supply of safe and healthy food.
Having seen the fruits of his hard work and determination, many farmers in Manong Eddie’s village have become interested in farming the same way. He has already trained several farmers who have started applying what they learned from him in their own farms. “This is my dream… to see other farmers practice and reap the benefits of organic farming,” he happily shared. [Ends]