As the country’s agriculture sector suffers from the meteoric rise of chemical fertilizer prices and food security is threatened, government must now look at the potentials of the Philippine Seaweed Industry as a source of affordable natural fertilizer.
The market demand is huge with the Philippines importing 2.82-million metric tons of fertilizer every year which, at current market prices, would be worth P100-B.
The option is to rediscover natural plant nutrition formulation and Seaweeds historically had always been the source of raw materials for natural fertilizer.
With a total coastline of 36,298-kilometers, the Philippines could grow a lot of seaweeds which are now produced mainly in Mindanao, Bicol, Palawan and Mindoro.
In fact, the Philippines is the third biggest producer of Seaweeds after China and Indonesia.
There are already commercially available Seaweed-based fertilizers but these are mostly processed by small groups of organic farmers who barely receive support from government.
The Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST), for example has developed a natural fertilizer derived from the drippings of Kappaphycus alvarezii.
Reports say the SPAMAST developed natural fertilizer which is commercially available as Kappaphycus Drippings or KD Foliar Fertilizer increased “the yield of rice, baby corn, soybean, mungbean, sweet pepper, cauliflower, mango, pechay, and orchid.”
“A kilo of Kappaphycus seaweed can yield up to 650ml liquid fertilizer. It contains nutrients that contribute to soil fertility, including nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron and manganese,” the report added.
Most of these accounts are merely anecdotal with very little attempt to establish accurate nutrient measurements like in commercial inorganic complete fertilizer which carries 16-16-16 of N-P-K.
The biggest challenge in exploiting this potential billion-peso earning industry which could also address poverty levels in the coastal communities is the lack of cohesive effort on the part of government.
The research, for example, is done either by the Dept. of Science and Technology or institutions like SPAMAST, the regulation is handled by the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority while the Department of Agriculture hardly promotes the use of locally formulated natural fertilizers.
Nobody handles financing and production support.
Instead, the government relies on massive importation of oil and gas-based inorganic fertilizer for its agriculture whose prices have now risen to levels which are no longer affordable or economically viable for farmers.
Kadalasan ang mga inventors ng mga natural fertilizers ay kailangan pang ilako ang kanila mga produkto dahil kulang ng suporta sa gobyerno.
Ang sabi ko nga, kulang na lang gumamit ng sawa ni Zuma ang mga natural fertilizer processors para ma-attract ang atensyon ng mga agriculture key officials sa isang napakahalagang produkto na binabalewala.
There should be a legislated national program focusing on a coordinated and well-funded research and development, financing for production and promotion of the Seaweed-based natural fertilizer.
Our failure to do this fast would certainly affect the Food Security of the country and squander a golden opportunity of utilizing a product which could be easily propagated and produced in many coastal areas of the country.
May kasabihan nga na daig ng Maagap ang Magaling.
Marami tayong mga eksperto pero napakabagal nating kumilos and we are very slow to respond to openings of opportunities.
#GovernanceIsCommonSense!
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!
(Photos of the seaweeds were taken by the MinDA media team in Mabuhay, Olutanga Island, Zamboanga Sibugay.)
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