Thursday, August 28, 2008 Board wants chicken dung checked regularly
ADDRESSING complaints from farmers on fake chicken dung products sold to them, the Benguet Provincial Board is seeking a periodic check on the quality of the supply delivered to the province.
The board in a resolution asked the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and the Benguet Vegetable Commission to conduct regular checks on the quality of chicken dung sold in the province to ensure farmers are getting quality supply. It is used as one of the major organic fertilizers in the province.
Board Member Apolinario Camsol, who proposed the resolution, said several farmers have complained about buying adulterated chicken manure.
He said farmers needed to be protected from unscrupulous dealers who may take advantage of the high demand of their products.
Chicken dung is used by farmers as alternative to chemical fertilizers given the high costs of synthetic plant nourishments.
The chicken dung trade is done along Halsema Highway, particularly in Tublay.
Earlier, a developer of an organic-based fertilizer attested to the efficiency of chicken dung as an organic fertilizer, when combined with another microbial fertilizer.
Dr. Virginia Cuevas, developer of the trichoderma-biocon organic fertilizer, said combining this fertilizer with chicken manure proves a promising result in plant fertility.
In her lecture during the seminar on organic fertilizer, Cuevas said trichoderma, when mixed with organic fertilizers, like chicken dung, enables the plants to absorb more micronutrients from the soil.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is spearheading the campaign on the promotion and development of organic-based fertilizers. (JC)
