Wonders of local fertilizer; woes from bureaucrats

Having produced the world’s third best rice in Leyte in 2019, Patrick Renucci aspires for top place. This requires constant experimenting in his rice field in Alangalang town. With fully mechanized operations, he has controlled most aspects of farming. Harrowing, harvesting and threshing are by giant combines on fields cleared of needless pilapil footways; sowing by mechanical blowers for exact seed depth that maya birds can’t peck; machine-drying and milling within ten hours of reaping; storage at 21 degrees centigrade to eliminate bukbok weevil.

Fertilizing is crucial. First he introduced to Leyte farmers Europe’s best brand, organic but expensive. He is now testing a local all-natural soluble powder mixed with amino acid. He eagerly toured us around his demo farms.

“Imported fertilizer costs more than P25,000 per hectare; this local mix is only P8,500,” he reported. “Only one-third of the cost, yet yield is also very high. Imagine how much farmers will save and earn.”

Patrick’s technician explained that with powder alone, the primary stems and secondary tillers were thicker and sturdier. Those with amino acid were even better. Palay grains are ripening. Patrick will harvest late this month.

It amused me to learn that Nature Tech Innovations is co-owned by my grade school pal Archibald Po. He has been raving about his discovery since 2017, then under a different name. A European friend in his aviation business had told him about it; he checked it out with his geologist-brother, and gave away samples to local official-friends. I’ve tried it in my hobby veggie patch since 2020, with healthy results.

Days later on Sapol-dwIZ, Nature Tech Operations VP Dante Delima, an agriculturist, discussed field trials. First was on cut foliage for flower arrangements, exported to Japan from Roxas City. Production rose 50 percent, with thicker stems and wider leaves, and better shipping endurance.

Second was chrysanthemum in Manalo Fortich, Bukidnon. Denser root formation, longer branching, thicker stems.

Third, palay in Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat. With no alarming presence of pests and diseases, there was no need for pesticide and fungicide, although insects damaged untreated adjacent fields. Twenty percent jump in palay average weight per sack from 60 to 72 kilos. Average production output rose 41 percent, from 5.1 to 7.2 tons per hectare. Usual palay trading price is P12 per kilo, and average production cost in Sultan Kudarat is P10.23 per kilo; now down to P7.55 per kilo.

The powder consists of manganese, magnesium, calcium and other minerals from Philippine rocks. Addition of amino acid from soya extract is from German and French studies. The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority ascertained its all-natural mix and issued permits for use. The company is examining the substitution of soya with equally protein-rich copra amino acid.

A former agriculture undersecretary, Delima has field-tested the mix on Arabica coffee in his Batangas home province. Also in 25 leaf vegetable, root crop and flower plots in Benguet. All safe for human consumption since the powder and amino acid are food grade. The powder contains no heavy metals. Amino acid has been in use for decades in piggery, poultry and aquaculture.

Climate change confounds farmers on when to plant. For Patrick, the solution is in plain conversing among tillers, weathermen and irrigation managers – on when to open the canals.

Government must stop treating farmers as burdens needing ayuda rather than partners, said Rene Cerilla in a separate interview. As policy advocacy officer of Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka, he noted antagonism between the two. The past admin kept importing corn, vegetables, fruits, sugar, pork, chicken and fish. Consumer prices dipped only slightly, but farmers, growers and catchers lost big.

“We had bureaucrats who are not entrepreneurs lecturing us about our businesses,” said aquaculturist Norbert Chingcuanco in another forum. Bong Inciong, United Broiler Raisers Association president, added that agriculture officials habitually bowed to World Trade Organization restrictions instead of negotiating better terms like the Japanese, Koreans and Australians do.

Agri-smuggling also crippled the locals, said Agriculture sector Rep. Nicanor Briones, United Sugar Producers Federation president Manuel Lamata and Benguet farmer-leader Agot Balanoy. Fundamental is the clashing definition of food security. For growers, it means producing surplus in order to export. For bureaucrats, food availability is enough whether sourced domestically or abroad.

But the world is in a period of extreme weather disruptions, war, fuel rate spikes and broken supply chains. Food prices are soaring, bureaucrats have been proven wrong.

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