DA promotes use of organic fertilizer as input costs continue to rise
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday endorsed the use of an organic fertilizer that uses nanotechnology to cut farmers’ production costs amid soaring prices of synthetic fertilizer and other planting inputs.
The DA said it has facilitated the development of Bioprime 555, an organic fertilizer product of Bioprime Agri Industries Inc. The product underwent various independent trials by the Philippine Rice Research Institute for more than two years and yielded “promising results,” according to the DA.
The agency said the organic fertilizer can reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers by up to 50 percent while maintaining optimal crop yield. It added that Bioprime 555 showed a 7 to 15 percent increase in yield and reduced farmers’ production costs by as much as 50 percent.
“We need more production of scientifically tested biofertilizers as we are concerned that the Ukraine-russia war will disable us from getting the much needed urea our farmers are clamoring to obtain,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said in a statement.
The DA said Bioprime 555, based on the product’s test trials, may also reduce pesticide and insecticide use of farmers due to a “reduction of predatory pests” and “stronger” disease resistance in crops.
“Likewise, reduced water/irrigation costs of up to 20 percent have ensued from improved soil and root water retention,” it added.
Dar said organic fertilizers like Bioprime and Bio-n are much needed in the government’s efforts to reduce farmers’ production cost amid soaring prices of inorganic and synthetic fertilizers in the world market.
“Technologies we need in our campaign for balanced fertilization, whose main focus is to enhance soil-based productivity, bring about nutrient-building qualities of the soil for soil sustainability,” he said.
“If we want to increase the level of productivity and income of farmers, we need to promote balanced fertilization. To attain food security, we must adopt a balanced fertilization strategy.”
The DA said Bioprime 555 also showed “promising results” in other crop production such as sugarcane, coffee and corn.
“In sugarcane, it recorded a 14.5 percent yield increase and 40 percent reduced synthetic fertilizer use; coffee registered 100 percent yield increase and showed cure and prevention of rust disease; and corn resulted in an 11-20 percent yield increase and 30 percent reduced chemical fertilizer use,” it added.
The DA has been promoting biofertilizers as a substitute to synthetic and inorganic fertilizers to help farmers cope with the rising prices of the planting input that have reached nearly P3,000 per 50-kilogram bag.
The spike in fertilizer prices, fueled by the war in Ukraine, was cited as one of the key factors behind the contraction of the country’s agricultural output in the first quarter.
The value of the country’s agricultural output in the first quarter dipped by 0.3 percent after production in crops, fisheries and livestock sectors contracted.
The value of farm output from January to March (at constant 2018 prices) declined by P75.246 billion to P419.922 billion from P495.168 billion recorded last year, Philippine Statisticsauthoritydatashowed.(relatedstory:https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/05/11/farm-outputdips-slightly-in-q1-fertilizer-pricespikes-blamed/).