DA mulls chicken manure plant

Amid the outbreak of bird flu in the country, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has initiated the establishment of a processing facility that will turn chicken manure into organic fertilizers in Pampanga to address a possible health issue.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said he sought the help of Santa Rosa Farm Products Corp. to put up a processing facility in Bacolor town which is expected to start operating in the next two weeks.

Following quarantine measures in San Luis, a major health issue loomed as tons of chicken dung piled up in the poultry farms in the province and nearby areas.

Tons of chicken dung are being brought by vegetable farmers in the Cordillera but with the restrictions on the movement and transport of poultry products, by-products and wastes, the farmers faced disposal problems.

“I saw the problem and immediately called up a group of private businessmen to offer them a business opportunity which could also help address a crisis through processing the chicken dung into organic fertilizers,” Piñol said.

The facility will burn the chicken dung along with rice hull, produce power and in the process produce quality organic fertilizers.

The facility has an estimated production of 50,000 metric tons of organic fertilizers every year.

Santa Rosa Organics partnered with Planters’ Products Inc. for the production, supply and marketing of organic fertilizers.

PPI, a private corporation sequestered by the government, is under the administrative control of the DA. Majority of the company’s stocks is now owned by Filipino farmers.