TABUK CITY, Kalinga — To help farmers improve rice yields, the Bureau of Soils and Water Management–National Soil Health Program (BSWM–NSHP), in partnership with the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and the City Local Government Unit of Tabuk, held a one-day technical briefing on Adaptive Balanced Fertilization Strategy on Rice 2025 at the Tabuk City Gymnasium.
The training, under the Department of Agriculture (DA), aimed to teach science-based fertilization tailored to local soil conditions. It benefited members of the Matagoan Irrigators Association and the Agriing Kayu Farmers Irrigators Association.
BSWM’s Alternate Focal Soil and Water Access Coordinator Visitacion Castillo said the strategy will be applied to 100 hectares of farmland managed by both groups to showcase its effectiveness. In addition to fertilizers, participating farmers will also receive certified rice seeds from PhilRice.
Castillo said the project is designed to increase yields and improve farmers’ socio-economic conditions.
Prior to the program, many of the farmers harvested only about three tons per hectare. With proper fertilizer use, yields could potentially double.
Before implementation, the team interviews farmers to assess current fertilizer use and trains them to apply the right amount—neither too much nor too little—based on soil needs.
The strategy has already shown success in Barangay Bulo, where farmers averaged 7.7 tons per hectare over 100 hectares during their second cropping.
With this expansion, the DA and the CLGU hope more farmers will benefit from increased productivity and sustainable practices. By Edward Joseph Gacuya
