Aside from posing health hazards, these chemicals also decrease soil quality
and degrade the environment in general. Environmentalists are doing everything
they can in making sure that nature is well protected from the harmful elements
brought about by these chemicals, but demand for these products are so high
that even a worldwide campaign against their use is pointless at this time.
It is a fact that nature has provided us with everything that we need, and it
is up to us to take care of what has been given to us.
Improving yield and productivity and increasing agricultural inputs are indeed
major concerns in agriculture. These fertilizers, pesticides and genetic improvements
are in fact giving us more choices but if we are to choose wisely, why not rediscover
how nature sustains itself? Thus, NFTS.
Nature Farming Technology System (NFTS), is a systematic integrated farming
method promoted by the Technical Assistance Center for the Development of Rural
and Urban Poor-Sustainable Integrated Area Development (TACDRUP-SIAD) that utilizes
microbes in the making of natural inputs for crops, livestock and herbal medicines.
The agri-residues are utilized as feeds to livestock, while manure is being
processed into farm inputs. Crops and livestock treated with this technology
are viewed to be competitive in the global market as not a single artificial
chemical is being used in the procedure.
The process of fermenting indigenous materials together with natural fermenting
agents is the basic method used in the making of these inputs. Such inputs as
Indigenous Micro-organisms (IMO), Oriental Herbal Nutrients (OHN), Calcium Phosphate
(CaPh4), Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ), Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ) and Natural
Insect Attractants (NIA) had been applied by TACDRUP-SIADs partner farmers
in key areas in Southern and Central Mindanao and all were satisfied with the
technology. It does not only improve productivity but also decreases the cost
of production significantly by 70 percent.
NFTS, integrated with livestock raising, has also come up with desirable results.
Through the technology, raising swine will never ever be too tasking that even
retirables, women and children could do the thing themselves. The animals no
longer need to be washed neither their pens be cleaned or sanitized, therefore
reducing labor requirements by a significant 90%. The micro-organic activity
within the beddings of the pen and their feeds are enough to keep these animals
and their abode clean and free from harmful elements. Amazingly, they dont
stink, unlike those raised in conventional methods, consequently making it viable
for backyard swine raisers even in highly urbanized places. More importantly,
30% of feeding components are common grasses (grasses that ruminants like goats
and cows eat), which makes feeding inputs much less expensive.
Other aspects of the technology puts to use other indigenous knowledge systems,
particularly in seed selection and preparation, so that farmers will eventually
produce their own seeds and not depend on external sources or even reach the
point of loaning out land just to acquire enough capital to start with.
The technology basically follows the discipline and framework of sustainable
development. Livestock is positioned as a major income provider, particularly
as a women-led economic activity in the household. The most important aspect
of the technology is that it will encourage people, specially farmers, to be
creative and develop a positive attitude towards productivity and self-reliance.