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Sunday, October 16, 2022 Vol. 18 No. 4
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LET CROPS GROW ON OUR LAND
Fertilizer shortage, surging demand, prices remain biggest threat to PHL food security
A
By Rory Visco
MARKED shortage in fertilizer supply, both on a global and local scale, remains a big threat to food security. Dwindling fertilizer stock can also undermine the robustness of the productivity level of Philippine agriculture as soil nutrients are necessary for our crops to grow. The Russia-Ukraine war is not helping in the global fertilizer issue either. As the world’s top fertilizer exporter, fertilizer shipments were also affected by the conflict. Couple this with bad weather and the lingering Covid-19 pandemic. It is a scary recipe for food shortage in the country and the rest of the world.
Pillars
FORTUNATELY, the Department of Agriculture (DA) came up with its “OneDA Reform Agenda” initiative, which focuses on four major pillars: farm consolidation, modernization, industrialization and professionalization to help alleviate the burden of fertilizer shortage on farmers. One interesting project under the initiative that promises hope with regard to farmers’ fertilizer woes is the Balanced Fertilization Strategy, BFS.
What is balanced fertilization?
BALANCED fertilization is a method of fertilization that prioritizes the proper or optimum supply and the right balance of macro and micronutrients for both crops and soil. Balanced fertilization is seen as a method that will help lessen local farmers’ dependency on imported inorganic fertilizer as the “4Rs” principle in fertilization is applied—“Right Source,” “Right Placement,” “Right Amount” and “Right Rate” to help enhance soil health and productivity, prevent
soil fertility decline and improve fertilizer availability and costs. The program is seen to help reduce fertilizer shortage because untapped alternative technologies like biofertilizers will be an option so farmers no longer have to depend 100 percent on inorganic fertilizers. “Traditional fertilization heavily reliant on synthetic chemicals strips our soil of its essential nutrients, resulting in less yield and quality of harvest, and pushes farmers to use more and more chemical inputs every crop season,” according to Reymond Magdato, National Sales and Marketing Manager of Enviro Scope Synergy Inc. The company is an active stakeholder and research partner for the nationwide implementation of the BFS to cater to specific fertilizer type and the right amount for particular crops. This vicious cycle of chemicalreliant fertilization, he explained, is what makes soil rejuvenation— the process of improving the structure, microbial life, and nutrient density of the soil that has deteriorated from traditional fertilization—necessary. Balanced fertilization, therefore, is a sustainable method of rejuvenating the soil to its healthiest state, Magdato added. He says that balanced fertilization can be applied to any type of soil to cultivate rice, vegetables and fruits. However, he noted
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FARMERS who have adopted the balanced fertilization strategy strike a pose with their farm crop yield. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
there are different types of fertilizers, and the specific mix and application of fertilizers may differ depending on the crop, which is why Enviro works closely with globally accredited research facilities that specialize in crop nutrition, as well as various Philippine government agencies for continuous research, development and innovation.
Making a difference
Magdato said that when using bal-
anced fertilization, soil testing prior to planting is required. When farmers determine the right amount of nutrients needed, they will surely buy enough, therefore, lesser waste of money. “The application of the right amount of nutrient needed by the plant is very vital in the crop growth stages, while over or lack of application will also affect the total performance of the crops, particularly on its yield and overall quality,” Magdato emphasized.
The right amount of nitrogen promotes growth. It is a building block for growing new stems and leaves, aside from being a necessary part of chlorophyll, which makes the leaves green and helps plants photosynthesize. On the other hand, the right amount of phosphorus aids in the development of flowers, fruits and root systems, while the right amount of potassium keeps roots healthy, and also aids in the growth of flowers and fruits, and helps plants tolerate forms of stress such as drought. As soon as the program was introduced, Filipino farmers were quick to adopt it as long as the costs necessary to apply them made sense. The biofertilizers used in Enviro’s balanced fertilization method cut their costs by 30-50 percent, and increased their yields by 30-40 percent, making it a highly sustainable, cost-efficient way of farming. Not only does balanced fertilization make sense in terms of costs, it also takes care of farmers’ well-being. “Traditional chemical fertilizers negatively affect our farmers’ health so much that farmers need to wear face masks, gloves, and other protective gear just to stay safe.” Farmers will not encounter any difficulty regarding its use, Magdato assures. “We’ve already developed the protocols to make it simple for any farmer to apply;
it just requires us to use products that are better for the earth—organic fertilizers instead of chemical ones. Organic products, however, are generally expensive, a hindrance that was solved through our biofertilizers at Enviro.” At Enviro, Magdato said they aim to change the notion of how food is produced by offering their biofertilizer under the Balanced Fertilization program and address the country’s food production concerns, while veering away from the use of destructive chemicals and unnatural methodologies, which regular fertilizer does.
Agri-preneurship
AT present, the Department of Agrarian Reform is pushing for more Filipinos to go in what it calls “agri-preneurship” or putting up businesses focused on agriculture, as a key to economic development. Magdato said majority of businessmen are inclined to go into the retail and technology business at present simply because they don’t see the beauty of agri-preneurship in the long run. “As an advocate of the program, Enviro will have a massive information dissemination campaign by conducting trainings and partnership programs that will help encourage the young generation to venture into agri-preneurship. Enviro will strive to make it happen,” he said.
n JAPAN 0.4005 n UK 66.8080 n HK 7.5101 n CHINA 8.2216 n SINGAPORE 41.1806 n AUSTRALIA 37.1208 n EU 57.6413 n KOREA 0.0412 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.6928
Source: BSP (October 14, 2022)
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