‘Balanced Fertilization’ Increases Rice Yield By Marvyn N. Benaning, Manila Bulletin 3 April 2011

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala’s campaign to achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2013 may

be achieved if the experience of hundreds of farmers in Victoria, Tarlac could be replicated

nationwide.

These farmers, who till a combined 5,000 hectares of land, are actually not strictly organic

farmers since they combine both organic and conventional fertilizers, call this system “balanced

fertilization.”

Alcala, an organic farming advocate, saw for himself in a recent farmer’s field day in Victoria

that practitioners of balanced fertilization have been harvesting 30 percent more palay from

inbred and hybrids in the past several years and progressively reducing the share of commercial

fertilizers from 10 percent to 50 percent.

The agriculture chief, who is battling for the adoption of certified seeds that increase yields by

15 percent, was pleasantly surprised to hear about the good outcome for the Victoria farmers.