DA pushes bio-fertilizers for corn

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is pushing the use of bio-fertilizers to boost corn production.

In a memorandum order, the DA issued implementing guidelines on the provision and promotion of bio-fertilizers in corn areas.

The use of bio-fertilizers as supplemental source of plant nutrients is supported under the National Corn Program (NCP) to sustain the yield level of corn and income of farmers.

With the issuance of the guidelines, the DA aims to promote the use of bio-fertilizers for corn, which will improve, or at least help sustain, corn productivity through the use of bio-fertilizers and will reduce the use of inorganic nitrogen-fertilizers.

The agency cited the spike in the cost of inorganic fertilizers due to the increasing price of oil in the international market.

“The high price of inorganic fertilizers significantly affects the cost of corn production in our country thus reducing the income of farmers,” the DA said.

A cheaper alternative to inorganic fertilizers, bio-fertilizers contain organisms that enhances nutrient uptake of plants, improving the plant’s root system, enhancing nutrient absorption, providing resistance to pest and diseases, and enhancing soil condition.

Under the guidelines, corn farmers registered registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) can avail of six bags per hectare of ready to use bio-fertilizers.

The inputs will be distributed through the active corn cluster organization or through local government unit-Agricultural Extension Workers (LGU-AEWs) for individual farmers not part of any cluster.

The DA will also promote bio-fertilizers via various extension activities such as information caravan, trainings, techno demo, and quad media.

Also this month, the DA issued a memorandum order implementing stringent guidelines to avail of fertilizer discount vouchers for a more efficient implementation of the NCP.

The order amended the Implementing Guidelines for the Crop Year 2022 And 2023 of the National Corn Program Fertilizer Discount Voucher in Support of Corn And Cassava Farmers.

“This project aims to ensure timely provision of fertilizers to farmer-beneficiaries and sustain and/or increase the current yield level of corn and cassava,” the DA said.

The agency has allowed representatives of farmer-beneficiaries to claim the discount voucher if they could not personally appear due to health reasons, special cases like quarantine restrictions, or any peculiar situations as may be approved by the DA.

However, they need to provide an authorization letter to be duly approved and with the conformity of an authorized DA personnel.

They also need to submit supporting documents by the designated authorized representative/s such as a duly signed photocopy of the farmer-beneficiary’s ID, and the representative’s ID.