VILLA KANANGA, Butuan City – Balanced Fertilization Strategy (BFS) will be key in countering the rising cost of fertilizer use especially among poor Filipino farmers. This was discussed during a meeting held at the VCDU Convention Center on May 6, 2022 attended by representatives from the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 13, Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) Caraga Region, Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM) Caraga, and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Agusan.

With the slogan Abonong Swak (Swak sa budget, swak sa palay), BFS promotes the combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers. Nutrient experts from DA believe that through this technique, farmers could save around P2,000 to P4,000 in farm inputs.

Aside from the organic-inorganic fertilizer combination, other means that will help farmers in fertilizer application include Minus-One Element Technique, Leaf Color Chart, Leaf Color Computing App, and Rice Crop Management Advisory Service.

To further strategize the promotion of BFS, a Technical Working Group (TWG) composed of DA-RFO, BSWM, ATI, FPA, and PhilRice was created. There will be meetings and engagements in the future to discuss issues and concerns on BFS.