LIVELIHOOD Almost all towns in Benguet province have been growing vegetables, which are in huge demand. But the decades-old industry has taken its toll on the soil. —EV ESPIRITU
LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET—Half a century of toiling the land to feed millions has taken its toll on Benguet’s vibrant vegetable producing industry.
Many farmlands have fallen below the the optimum soil level for growing vegetables, measuring 5.5 to 6.5 of the pH (alkalinity) scale in tests conducted by the Benguet State University (BSU) over the years, said Carlito Laurean, former BSU vice president for research and extension.
Soil quality that is lower than the minimum pH means it has much higher acidity that prevents nutrients from being absorbed by the plant, Laurean said.
“We have even tested samples as low as 3 pH, which is the acidity of vinegar. It means the soil is worn out and needs to be rehabilitated to be productive,” he said.
Soil acidity
A separate test by the provincial agriculture office substantiated the BSU findings when it detected significantly increasing soil acidity in the towns of Atok, Bakun, Buguias, Kibungan and Mankayan, the top vegetable producers.
The worsening soil condition is due to the prolonged and heavy use of synthetic farm inputs and unprocessed chicken manure, the fertilizer of choice of most farmers as it is cheaper, said Benguet agriculturist Lolita Bentres.
Mixing chicken manure—without composting—increases soil acidity because the organic fertilizer tends to transmit harmful pathogens, said Bentres, who has been working with farmers for over three decades.
She said composting would have broken down the manure’s high nitrogen content.
An average of 400,000 sacks of chicken dung is transported to Benguet every month based on quarantine monitoring of trucks using the Halsema Highway.
High soil acidity reduces production and the quality of crops, pushing farmers to turn to synthetic fertilizer.
Farm expansions
“It may increase the season’s yield but chemical fertilizers would also aggravate the damage, encouraging the use of stronger dosages for the next planting seasons,” Bentres said.
Some farmers mix powdered lime to neutralize the soil’s acidity but repetitive use tends to harden the ground.
Some vegetable growers have been expanding into forests because of the poor soil quality in their gardens. This has raised concerns among Benguet officials, said Buguias Mayor Ruben Tindaan.
“It’s a dilemma shared by neighboring farming towns. Expansions have already reached the oak forests and we fear farms inputs could contaminate water sources,” he said.
At the Mt. Pulag National Park, Luzon’s highest peak, farm expansions are discovered almost every week despite its declaration as a protected area, said Emerita Albas, the park superintendent.
In most cases, the culprits are seldom caught, she said.
Averting crisis
Crop programming remains the key to averting a looming crisis for Benguet farming and ensuring the sustainability of the vegetable industry without significantly scarring the environment, according to Cameron Odsey, Cordillera director of the Department of Agriculture.
Ideally, farmers will have designated sectors where specific commodities are grown at certain periods of the year to reduce oversupply and guarantee quality and affordable crops.
Odsey said this also addresses competition with imported vegetables flowing into high-end groceries.
In the late 1990s, crop programming was strongly opposed by farmers who did not want their planting options to be restricted, Bentres said. “[Farmers] did not think ahead because the soil was quite fertile and productive then. But now, they have less produce and more competition,” she said.
Organic crops
Laurean said there was also a growing movement among farmers who had shifted to organic crops with the increasing demand for chemical-free vegetables.
To combat acidity, local governments have urged farmers to try planting peas and beans, which have the capacity to absorb nitrogen compounds produced by a symbiotic bacteria called rhizobia.
Mokusaku, an organic-based Japanese multifunctional liquid concoction, was also introduced in 2009 to rejuvenate the soil while acting as insect repellent and fungicide, in line with the government’s campaign to adopt good agricultural practices, Bentres said.
But barely one-fourth of farmers patronized these planting approaches, she lamented.