The Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) of North Gorontalo Regency, Gorontalo Province, encourages people in the area to implement organic farming. "We hope that farmers can continue to apply organic farming patterns. Such as the use of organic fertilizers to encourage increased food production in this area," said Deputy Chair of the North Gorontalo Regency DPRD, Roni Imran in Gorontalo, Saturday. In addition, the organic farming pattern will greatly assist farmers in dealing with the potential shortage of subsidized fertilizer stocks during the planting period. Besides being environmentally friendly, farmers can independently produce fertilizers. So that it does not depend on subsidized fertilizer stocks which often have an impact on delays in the fertilization period.
Agricultural production using organic fertilizers has also proven to be much greater. Such as corn commodities that use organic fertilizers. If they usually only produce 5 to 5.5 tons per hectare, with the use of proven organic fertilizers, farmers can harvest corn up to 10 to 11 tons per hectare. Therefore, the DPRD hopes that organic farming patterns can continue to be applied, including developing skills on how to manufacture and use various types of organic fertilizers. So that farmers can save on planting capital because they are more independent in using their own fertilizers. He also hopes that farmers in the area will start to reduce their dependence on using inorganic fertilizers as an effort to preserve the environment.
Because the use of inorganic fertilizers has an impact on the damage to soil nutrients, causing fertility levels to continue to decrease. "To produce food products in large and sustainable quantities, we must also pay attention to environmental sustainability by maintaining soil fertility for long-term agricultural interests," he added. Roni also invited farmers and the people in the area to take advantage of any vacant land by planting food commodities, both vegetables, spices and fruits.
