Organic farming (OF) is an agricultural practice aimed at attaining balanced ecological production management system that encourages and improves soil biological activity and biodiversity. It involves minimum use of synthetic chemicals and inputs outside the farm while ensuring management practices that preserve, replenish, and enhance ecological stability.
GBC online has been finding out, what other best farming practices can be adopted to maintain the farm lands. Man extract grains from plants and plants take their nutrients from the soil meaning the soil needs to be replenish so that, the cycle can continue. Our fore fathers hitherto practiced the slash and burn, land rotation and shifting cultivation. That is, they move from one farm land to the other in search fertile soils. These practices were common in the midst of land abundance and cannot be practice today due to the competition for land for infrastructure such as housing, roads and agriculture. For these reasons, farmers can no longer have the joy of practicing shifting cultivation. The genesis of agriculture has change as a result of population explosion, rendering land scarcity and further polluting environment. During the green revolution, scientist came out with chemical fertilizer to boost production, however, man made things does not often go well with nature.
GBCONLINE caught sight with, the Bolgatanga Municipal Director Department of Agriculture, Dr. Bernard My-Issah on the sidelines of how Agriculture can be improved by adopting to organic farming (OF) through the appropriate technology which can help solve the nagging sanitation problems. He explained that, due to the competition of land for other uses, there is no land for changing hence the introduction of chemical fertilizer to supplement, adding that, some farmers know the use of animal and fowls’ droppings to fertilized their land. However, some countries have succeeded in going completely organic. He indicated that, in some states in India, fertilizer and chemicals are not sold there and in Australia where he is partial trained, they work on their land, the residue of the cashew, the winery, belly and the canella after harvest and processing are sent back and spread on the farms, with sophisticated machines, they are buried in trenches, planters or cedars will follow and plant the seeds on these trenches in the farms. This he said, with a little rain, they always get a good yield, they are actually doing what is called précising Agriculture and that ecological farming. Dr. My-Issah stated further that, Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved. Organic farming, can build the soil structure, the little precipitation the soil can hold water. He cited for instance that in research farms, when soils are drying, those with fertilizer dries fast than those with manure.
Regarding sanitation vis, a vie organic farming he said, orgasmic farming is the panacea to changing the face of Agriculture, the only handicap as a country is how Ghana can effectively and efficiently turn the tons of waste being generated into manure, then the littering of the environment will be cleansed of filth and pollution and all farmers will have enough manure to spread on their farms. Organic farming does not allow the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, herbicides, or pesticides. All agricultural productions are done organically and in the best natural way including the production of fibers, grains, vegetables, flowers, processed food products, and animal products such as milk, eggs, and meat.
Story filed by Emmanuel Akayeti.