THE ECONOMICS OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS

THE ECONOMICS OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS

It is very clear that organic fertilizers are better than chemical fertilizers. The science is already there: organic fertilizers restore the soil, promote microbial life, and help farmers reduce dependence on petroleum-based inputs. But here is the dilemma—organic fertilizers are not always cheaper than chemical fertilizers. That is the wall many organic farmers run into, especially those who would like to grow organic fruits and vegetables but are constrained by economics.

My own dream is that one day, perhaps sooner than later, organic food will become the norm, not the exception. What would that mean? It would mean that organic food prices will be at par with non-organic food prices. At that point, consumers will simply choose according to preference, not by price. Imagine walking into a supermarket and seeing that organic bananas cost the same as ordinary bananas. Wouldn’t that make sense for both health and sustainability?

Price parity, however, is only one objective. The other objective is to tap both the growing domestic and export markets for organic foods. Here in Metro Manila, the demand for organic fruits and vegetables is steadily rising. Community markets like Salcedo in Makati draw health-conscious buyers every weekend, while online platforms like Farm2Metro deliver organic produce—from native ginger to heirloom squash—straight to households. This shows that consumer behavior is shifting in favor of sustainability and health.

Globally, the story is the same. Japan, South Korea, and China are buying more tropical fruits, with growing interest in organic-certified bananas, pineapples, and mangoes. Europe and North America, though stricter in certification, offer premium prices for certified products. This tells us that if we can meet standards, the Philippines could become a serious player in the global organic trade.

But let us be practical: organic fertilizer is just one side of the equation. The other side is the use of natural insecticides. In theory, the cost of natural insecticides should also be at par with chemical insecticides. Otherwise, the costs of organic farming will remain high, and so will the prices of organic food.

This is where government should come in. The Department of Agriculture (DA) should lead a “whole of government” approach, with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and research institutions like the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) developing low-cost technologies for both organic fertilizers and natural insecticides. If we cannot develop these technologies locally, then let us be bold enough to acquire them abroad through technology transfer agreements. Why not, if it means boosting our competitiveness in both local and international markets?

Let us not forget: the Philippines is an agricultural country. We should be producing more natural foods not only for our own health but also for export. Organic agriculture can be a sunrise industry if given the right support. The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that organic farming is still less than 2% of total agricultural land, yet the domestic and export markets are growing steadily. This is a gap waiting to be filled.

Certification costs, logistics, and scale remain challenges, but these are not insurmountable. Imagine if DA, DOST, and even DTI collaborated to create affordable certification programs, improved cold-chain logistics, and encouraged cooperatives of small organic farmers. That would lower costs, improve supply consistency, and make our products more attractive to global buyers.

So here is my suggestion: let us push for a national program that supports organic fertilizer and natural insecticide production. Let us aim for price parity between organic and non-organic food within the decade. And let us position the Philippines as an exporter of world-class organic products.

At the end of the day, the economics of organic fertilizers is not just about costs. It is about health, sustainability, trade competitiveness, and national pride. If we succeed, we would not only feed our people better but also carve a space for ourselves in the global organic movement.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres 
iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com 

12-15-2025 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HOW IS THE CRIME RATE COMPUTED IN THE PHILIPPINES?

HOW IS THE CRIME RATE COMPUTED IN THE PHILIPPINES? When we talk about the crime rate in the Philippines, we often assume that the figures we see are accurate reflections of reality. But have we ever paused to ask—how exactly is the crime rate computed? Where does this data come from, and how reliable is it? The computation of the crime rate in the Philippines is officially handled by the Philippine National Police (PNP). The formula itself is straightforward: Crime Rate = (Total Reported Crimes / Total Population) x 100,000 This simple equation gives us the number of crimes per 100,000 people, allowing for fair comparison across regions and time periods. However, the reality behind these numbers is more complex than it appears. Data from the Ground The foundation of our national crime rate is empirical data collected at the grassroots level—from individual police stations scattered across the country. Every reported crime is logged in local police blotters, forming the buil...
Read more

GREY AREAS IN GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS

GREY AREAS IN GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS Dear Mr. President: May I ask who is going to be the arbiter or referee whenever there are overlaps in functions between two or more government agencies? I imagine that there would be no problem if these agencies would just cooperate and collaborate with each other, but what if they are unable to settle their differences and they would just end up throwing blame at each other or finger pointing at each other? Allow me to cite some examples. Who is supposed to take the lead in waste to energy projects? Is it supposed to be the DENR that is supposed to handle waste? Or is it supposed to be the DOE that is supposed to handle energy generation? Or is it supposed to be the DILG since it is the one that could direct or influence the waste to energy projects of LGUs? Who is supposed to take the lead in producing and promoting the use of biofuels? Is it supposed to be the DA, since the production of biofuels is supposed to be all about planting biofuel ...
Read more

LOCALIZED FREE AMBULANCE SERVICES

LOCALIZED FREE AMBULANCE SERVICES As it is supposed to be, anyone in the Philippines should be able to dial 911, and a telephone operator should be able to dispatch fire, rescue, ambulance and police (FRAP) units as soon as possible, based on acceptable response times. I invented the FRAP acronym for easy recall, and I hope it sticks, if there is no other alternative. Unfortunately, due to a mixture of technical and political reasons, the Philippines has not adopted 911 as a national number, because some LGUs would rather use their own three-digit numbers such as 117 and 168. I actually proposed a technical solution to that problem, but it was not adopted either. For whatever it is worth, my solution is to install a call forwarding system that could route all calls to a central operator, regardless of what number is dialed. It is very sad for me to know that up to now, even if our country is already over one hundred years old, there are still many LGUs that do not have fire trucks. it ...
Read more