Benguet farmers urged to produce own fertilizer from trimmings
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LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (June 22) — A local official here said composting would help address waste management and soil acidity problems of Benguet.
During the regular Kapihan sa Benguet this week, former La Trinidad Mayor and Governor-elect Nestor Fongwan urged all farmers to do composting in their homes. He said farmers should use their vegetable trimmings to produce their own fertilizers, instead of leaving them at the La Trinidad trading post.
Fongwan disclosed a daily average of 30 tons of vegetable trimmings are collected at the trading post. He added that these can go as much as 60 tons a day during peak season.
“Imagine the volume of vegetable trimmings being collected daily. It would really lessen our waste management problem if farmers bring home their own trimmings and use these to produce compost. Besides, farmers would also benefit from composting “ he said.
Fongwan further said soil acidity problem should be addressed now. He said a growing number of farms along the Halsema highway are already suffering from the ill-effects of acidic soil due to extensive use of chemical-based fertilizers.
Fongwan cited as one of the effects of acidic soil the clubbed-roots, a disease that affects cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. He explained that clubbed-roots causes the plants to wither.
“Hopefully, because of this (clubbed-roots) farmers would be forced to do their own composting. If we will not address the soil acidity problem today we will be having problems in the future,” Fongwan said. # Kim Quitasol for NORDIS
