Two weeks after the outbreak of the Avian Influenza in Pampanga, a modern processing facility which would turn the mounting chicken dung into organic fertiliser is now being established in Bacolor town and is expected to start operating in another two weeks.
The processing facility, Santa Rosa Organics, will address a problem I saw during my third visit to Pampanga following the Bird Flu problem and this was the disposal of chicken dung in view of the strict quarantine measures instituted by the Bureau of Animal Industry.
Santa Rosa Organics is a classic story of turning crisis into opportunities.
As strict quarantine measures were enforced following the outbreak of the Avian Influenza in San Luis, Pampanga, a major health issue loomed as tons of chicken dung piled up in the poultry farms in the province and nearby areas.
The chicken dung was previously bought 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 a huge problem on how to dispose it.
During my third visit to Bacolor, Pampanga following the outbreak of the Bird Flu, I saw the problem and immediately called up a group of private businessmen to offer to them a business opportunity which could also help address a crisis – processing the chicken dung into organic fertilisers.
Immediately, businessman Jomerito Soliman of Santa Rosa Farm Products Corp., gathered a team of engineers from Germany and Colombia.
German Engineer Ilona Paulick flew in last Saturday from Bangkok where she is based and proceeded to Bacolor, Pampanga to check the viability of the project.
In a week’s time, the engineers – Paulick of Germany, Ricardo Ghisays and Juan Camillo of Colombia – came up with a design of a facility which would burn the chicken dung along with rice hull, produce power and in the process produce quality organic fertilisers.
By stroke of luck, Santa Rosa Farm Products, the mother company of Santa Rosa Organics, has a newly-acquired boiler which was originally intended for another project.
The engineers said the boiler is what is needed to operate the processing facility.
The facility has an estimated production of 50,000 metric tons of organic fertilizers every year.
In my office this morning, Friday, Santa Rosa Organics came into an agreement with Planters’ Products, Inc. for the production, supply and marketing of organic fertilisers.
With the prospect of sufficient supply of organic fertilisers, I proposed to Bacolor town Mayor Jomar Hizon the establishment of greenhouses in the estimated 5,000-hectares of lahar-covered wastelands of the town.
The greenhouses will be designed to produce organic vegetables and cut flowers for the local market and for export using the Clark International Airport.
On Monday, in front of President Rody Duterte, Santa Rosa Organics and Planters Products, Inc., will sign a Memorandum of Agreement which would mark the realisation of an idea which I thought of only two weeks ago.
Once again, it has been shown that every crisis offers windows of opportunities.
(Photos show the boilers for the organic fertiliser processing facility being loaded into cargo trucks to be brought to Pampanga to start the processing of chicken dung into organic fertilisers. Courtesy of Santa Rosa Farm Products.)
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