DA urges use of cheaper fertilizers to cut costs

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is promoting the use of a microbial-based fertilizer to help farmers save on cost amid the continued rise of inorganic fertilizer costs globally.

In a statement yesterday, the DA said it is massively promoting the use of Bio-N fertilizer as the increase in inorganic fertilizer prices has been further worsened by the Russia-Ukraine war.

“Given the exigencies of the times, we have to massively promote the use of Filipino-developed technologies to enhance crop productivity and incomes of our farmers and fishers,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar.

“One of these is Bio-N, which was developed 40 years ago by Dr. Mercedes Umali-Garcia of the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Biotech), at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB),”he said.

The Bio-N fertilizer, which is available in 200 gram sachets, contains organisms capable of converting nitrogen from the air into ammonium nitrogen in the soil.

Microbial fertilizer enhances shoot growth and root development and can replace 30 to 50 percent of total chemical nitrogen requirement of crops, according to UPLB-Biotech.

Five to six sachets of Bio-N can replace two 50-kilo bags of urea per hectare planted to rice.

With urea currently retailing at an average of P2,823.50 per bag,  the total fertilizer cost would be around P11,294 at an average of four bags per hectare for rice.

“With Bio-N, priced at P100 per sachet, rice farmers could save P10,694 per hectare for utilizing five to six sachets,”the DA said.

The DA cited UPLB studies that show that Bio-N could increase crop yields by 11 percent. Aside from rice, the biofertilizer can also be used for corn and vegetables.

In March, the DA forged a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with UPLB-Biotech to expand the research and development, capacity building, and upscaling of Bio-N and other bio fertilizers, stimulants and technologies.

Prior to the MOU, the DA under its national corn program has funded the establishment of 17 Bio-N mixing plants across the country.

The DA Region 3 field office signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with UPLB-Biotech in May, for the latter to supply 10,000 packs of Bio-N for distribution to Central Luzon farmers.

Moreover, the DA, through the National Food Authority (NFA) is establishing 20 Bio-N mixing facilities under the agency’s Corn Development Program (CornDev).

Last month, UPLB-Biotech officials, along with national scientist, former UP president and founding Biotech director Emil Javier, met with DA officials — led by Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian and DA-Philippine Rice Research Institute director John de Leon — and members of the private sector to discuss strategies to scale up the production and distribution of Bio-N and other bio fertilizers and stimulants to farmers nationwide.

In the same month, Dar led the distribution of 1,000 packs of Bio-N to farmers’ cooperatives and associations during the opening of the new R&D facility at the DA-RFO 2 Cagayan Valley Research Center, in Ilagan City, Isabela.