CCCI allocates P.5 million for organic certifying body

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) is allocating P500 thousand funding to push its bid in making Cebu an organic-producing province, by establishing an organic certifying body, that will standardize farming communities producing organic crops.

CCCI president Samuel Chioson announced that the P500 thousand funding will be spent to organize a group of individuals that will be trained by technical experts from Germany, to certify farms that are claiming or trying to produce the much in-demand organic goods now a days.

“Today, we can’t promote or encourage farmers to produce organic crops because we don’t have easy and in-expensive access to organic certifying body. We should have our own in Cebu,” said Chioson.

CCCI will be working closely with AFOS Foundation for Entrepreneurial Development of Germany in this project, he said.

The chamber has been advocating to make Cebu as an organic producing province, while the market is increasing, and that supply is limited.

In an earlier interview with CCCI chairman for external affairs Nestor Archival, he said that the chamber together with Cebu City government, Cebu Provincial government and the Department of Agriculture (DA), will together work on establishing a certification body and that this is expected to be created this year.

According to Chioson, this project is one of the main thrusts of the chamber this year, and he expects to have this body organized before the year ends.

The program, which is under the “Cebu Organic Movement” aims at boosting the organic farming communities within the province.

Part of the project, is to maintain at least one or two demo-farm for organic farming to be put up jointly by the Cebu City government and the provincial government.

Archival who is also known as hard-core organic farming advocate, said that Cebu with its growing number of customers demanding for real organic product needs to have this facility immediately.

Based on the   “Organic Agriculture Act 2010” or Republic Act No. 10068, all supermarkets are required to put up a stall that provides all certified organic products.

In Cebu, according to Archival because of the shortage of supply, most supermarkets still have to comply on this requirement.

Already, several non-government organizations (NGOs) appealed to the Department of Agriculture (DA) to implement a sustainable farming system in the city and province to help ensure food security. (FREEMAN)