LET GOVERNMENT PRIORITIZE THE USE OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS

LET GOVERNMENT PRIORITIZE THE USE OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS

For many years, our farmers have been dependent on chemical fertilizers, most of which are linked to imported raw materials and global supply chains. Every time there is a war, an oil price increase, or a disruption in international shipping, fertilizer prices rise and Filipino farmers suffer. The result is simple: higher production costs, lower farm incomes, and eventually higher food prices for consumers.

That is why I believe the time has come for the government to adopt a national policy that prioritizes the use of organic fertilizers. This should not merely be a departmental program. It should be embodied in an Executive Order issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. or, better yet, in an Act of Congress that will institutionalize the policy for future generations.

Some may argue that global fertilizer supplies will eventually stabilize. Perhaps they will. But even if they do, why should we continue relying on imported agricultural inputs when we can produce fertilizers from our own biodegradable waste?

The Philippines generates millions of tons of agricultural waste, market waste, food waste, and household biodegradable waste every year. Instead of filling up landfills and dumpsites, these materials can be converted into compost, vermicast, biofertilizers, and other organic soil amendments. In effect, what we now call garbage can become a valuable national resource.

More importantly, organic fertilizers help restore soil health. Years of excessive chemical use have degraded many of our farmlands. Healthy soil is not created overnight. It requires organic matter, beneficial microorganisms, and sustainable farming practices. Organic fertilizers help rebuild the soil rather than merely feeding the crop.

There is also a public health dimension. Many consumers are increasingly looking for food that is produced with fewer chemical inputs. Fruits and vegetables grown with organic soil amendments can contribute to safer and healthier food systems. Whether as fully organic products or as part of an integrated farming system, reducing dependence on synthetic chemicals is a step in the right direction.

The economic benefits are equally compelling. Farmers who produce their own compost or purchase locally manufactured organic fertilizers can reduce production costs. The money that would otherwise leave the country to pay for imported inputs can instead circulate within local communities, creating jobs and supporting small enterprises.

In fact, the country already has a legal foundation for this approach. The Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 and its amendment, Republic Act No. 11511, expressly promote organic agriculture, soil fertility improvement, reduced dependence on imported farm inputs, and increased food self-sufficiency. 

My proposal is straightforward: require all government supported agricultural programs to gradually allocate a significant percentage of their fertilizer procurement budget to accredited organic fertilizers. Every province should establish composting and vermiculture centers. Every city and municipality should be encouraged to convert biodegradable waste into fertilizer. Cooperatives and farmers' organizations should receive technical and financial assistance to become producers themselves.

The question is not whether organic fertilizers can work. The question is whether we have the political will to make them a national priority.

If we are serious about food security, environmental protection, waste management, rural employment, and healthier food, then the answer is clear. Let the government prioritize the use of organic fertilizers—not as an alternative policy, but as a national policy. The sooner we act, the sooner we can build a more self-reliant and sustainable agricultural future for the Philippines.

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

www.facebook.com/ike.seneres  iseneres@yahoo.com  senseneres.blogspot.com  09088877282/06-28-2027

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