DOST's bioreactor facility to boost Pangasinan organic farming

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1006015
• Monday, August 14, 2017

By Leonardo Micua (PNA)

SAN FABIAN, Pangasinan -- A bioreactor facility costing almost PHP600,000 was turned over by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to the municipality of San Fabian to convert biodegradable wastes from farmers and households into organic fertilizers.

Pangasinan Fourth District Rep. Christopher de Venecia joined DOST Region 1 Director Armand Ganal in turning over the facility to San Fabian Mayor Constante Agbayani and his constituents on Saturday.

De Venecia initiated the project to boost his Organic Farming Program in the fourth district of Pangasinan with San Fabian as the pilot area.

The municipal government's equity to the project is the infrastructure that will be located in Sitio Bisbiscul, Barangay Ambalangan Dalin to house the bioreactor, including the road network going to the facility.

DOST Region 1 Director Ganal said his agency will also provide a shredder, costing PHP200,000, a vital component of the bioreactor.

He said the steered tank composting facility can process 500 kilograms of biodegradable materials coming from farmers and other residents into organic fertilizer daily for use in the farms and gardens.

About 80 percent of the total input of 500 kilograms of wastes could be turned to organic fertilizer as output daily, he said,

Ganal, however, said that farmers and residents will be required to segregate their biodegradable wastes from the non-biodegradables as the latter can not be processed by the bioreactor.

With the machine, he said, there will be no more burning of waste materials from the farms.

He said experts from Metro Manila will go to San Fabian soon to teach farmers to operate the facility.

De Venecia, who is promoting organic farming, lauded the project as farmers need to stop buying costly chemical-based fertilizers that are a big threat to health as well as the environment.