Farmers receive free feertilizers

By Cet Dematera

Some 14 farmer organizations in Legazpi City with an estimated 2,500 members, including officers and members of the Legazpi City Women’s Federations (LCWF), were the recipients of the first compost or organic fertilizer produced by the first composting facility in the country using the Okada technology of Japan.

The farmer beneficiaries received at least five sacks of fertilizers per group from the total of 600 bags compost fertilizer initially produced by the facility.

Mayor Noel E. Rosal said the compost fertilizer was the first product by the sustainable composting facility introduced by the Japanese government to reduce the farming expenses of the farmers, increase their agricultural productivity, and improve their livelihood status.

Rosal said the distribution of fertilizers to the farmers is part of the program of his administration to push for agricultural development that will provide sufficient harvest of agricultural products and healthy foods for the consuming public.

The organic waste composting system is the first in the Philippines as Legazpi is the only city in the country that adopted the technology and innovative ideas of the Okada Manufacturing Company in processing organic fertilizers.

Okada, which is engaged in the processing and export of organic fertilizer for almost 60 years already,is the oldest organic fertilizer company in Japan.

City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) chief, Ceciro Cano, said the compost fertilizer was just the first batch distributed to the farmers for free.

Cano said the compost fertilizer was the result of the 14 days fermentation process using biodegradable waste materials including chicken manures, coco peat and other waste materials from the market.

“We will just wait for the result of the evaluation of the Department of Agriculture (DA) before it could be declared as organic fertilizer,” Cano added.

City Agriculturist Shiela Nas, on the other hand, said the compost fertilizer could be used by the farmers in planting palay, vegetables, root crops, and other plants to lessen their agricultural expenses and improve their harvest every cropping cycle.

Nas said that the compost fertilizer would remove the acidity of the land and bring back the lost soil nutrients.