The Philippines has long been known as one of the world’s top rice producers, and it’s easy to see why. With its abundant land and rich soil, growing rice has long been an economic staple for the country’s millions of farmers. There is a need to know the 8 top solutions to agricultural problems in the Philippines
However, agricultural problems in the Philippines have threatened this well-established system, such as a pest infestation that struck many farms in 2013-14, when more than 3 million people were directly affected by pests like the rice grasshopper, weevils, and stem borer larvae on their farms.
Read on to know the solutions to agricultural problems in the Philippines and more.
The List of Solutions to Agricultural Problems in the Philippines
- Protect Your Crops From Weeds
- Prioritize Organic Farming
- Ditch Conventional Products
- Harvest Rainwater for Irrigation
- Use Natural Compost
- Form a Co-Op with Farmers in Your Area
- Stop Wasting So Much Food
Let us take these solutions to agricultural problems in the Philippines in detail.
1) Protect Your Crops From Weeds
Weeds can cause trouble for farmers, not only by stealing nutrients from crop roots and competing with the plants for sunlight and water but also by making it difficult to harvest crops. Weeds can also carry diseases that harm plants. The best way to protect your crops from weeds is by adding a thick layer of mulch around your seedlings.
This will block sunlight and provide a good environment for weed growth. Once you have established a healthy root system, weed problems should be minimalized, as they are unable to compete with plant roots for nutrients.
Other ways to keep weeds away include keeping the soil moist (by planting rain-tolerant crops), growing a fast-growing cover crop, or using herbicides.
2) Prioritize Organic Farming
Prioritizing organic farming is one of the solutions to agricultural problems in the Philippines.
Organic farming is a solution that should be prioritized. It provides food security, boosts the local economy, and combats climate change.
Organic farming is an agriculture system that operates without synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers.
It relies on crop rotation, composting, and animal manures for fertility instead of outside chemical inputs. Organic products are not only healthy for people but also for the environment as they contribute less to global warming than conventional agriculture does.
Organic food production is a permanent, viable alternative for farmers. Organic farmers no longer depend on expensive imported pesticides and artificial fertilizers, which contribute more greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than all of transportation combined.
Organic food production is an increasingly important part of global food security and agro-biodiversity. It has been shown that consuming organic produce has health benefits such as reduction of cancer risk, lower use of anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive drugs, and less body weight among consumers as well.
3) Ditch Conventional Products
Ditch Conventional Products and go organic. Organic agriculture doesn’t use chemical pesticides or fertilizers, so it’s better for your health and better for the environment. Organic agriculture also has lower operating costs because they don’t need as much energy and they don’t have to worry about harmful runoff from chemicals.
This is an excellent way to ensure that you’re doing your part to help make a difference in terms of food production, pollution levels, and public health, just by buying organic products instead of conventional ones, you can help improve these three things.
Organic agriculture also helps protect your health. Pesticides are designed to kill living creatures, and you don’t want them in your food chain. They can be dangerous because they can affect humans’ nervous systems and endocrine systems.
4) Harvest Rainwater for Irrigation
Filipinos have been using this technique for centuries. The use of rainwater is a sustainable and cost-effective way of irrigating crops, and it helps to save on energy costs. Rainwater harvesting can also be combined with other techniques like drip irrigation and water storage tanks.
The installation of wells is also an excellent alternative because they don’t require much maintenance and they’re durable. For example, San Miguel Corporation installed well systems in many parts of Asia since its discovery 20 years ago. Wells are a reliable source of groundwater that can be used as a safe drinking water supply or as an irrigation system.
There are different types of wells depending on their depth, diameter, and materials that make up their lining. It’s important that these features are determined before drilling so there’s enough surface area to catch all the precious groundwater (the average rate of groundwater depletion worldwide is 3.5 meters per year).
5) Use Natural Compost
Using natural compost is one of the solutions to agricultural problems in the Philippines. Composting can be used as a sustainable way of fertilizing and rejuvenating the soil. Plus, it doesn’t involve any chemical additives or harmful by-products, which is a good thing if you’re worried about any agricultural hazards on your land. Now, you might be wondering how composting works.
It’s the very simple organic matter like food scraps and yard waste combined with nitrogen-rich materials like leaves and grass clippings, resulting in a material that looks similar to earthy mud. In fact, this same material has been called black gold for its richness in nutrients.
Once the compost pile has reached the desired size, it’s then sifted through a wire mesh and left alone for anywhere from six months to two years before being applied back into fields.
6) Form a Co-Op with Farmers in Your Area
Form a Co-Op with Farmers in Your Area: You don’t need a huge budget to be an entrepreneur. With a little work, you can start your own co-op. This will give you a chance to find out what other agricultural problems farmers in your area are facing and how best you can help them solve them.
Plus, co-ops are a great way for farmers of all sizes to gain more resources and security for their farms, as well as share any risks or profits that come from selling goods.
One thing to keep in mind is that you may not have all of the skills needed, but there’s plenty of information online that’ll teach you what you need to know. As long as you’re ready for hard work and have access to land, your only limit is time.
7) Stop Wasting So Much Food
Every year, 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted worldwide. And yet, there are still people starving and who don’t have enough to eat. This is due to a multitude of factors including overproduction, lack of storage, and a consumer culture that encourages excess.
One solution is to stop wasting so much food by learning how to properly store it, sharing leftovers with friends, or donating them to charity.
Doing this will help reduce hunger while also preserving resources like fuel and water which are often used when producing, packaging, distributing, and disposing of unused food.
8) Start Raising Livestock Like Chickens or Rabbits
Raising livestock like chickens or rabbits is one way for farmers to supplement their income. This is because they can sell eggs, meat, and wool.
Meat is a great source of protein and provides a lot of calories, which can be difficult to come by in developing countries. Raising animals also gives them something they could trade with other people or sell at local markets.
Keeping chickens is simple, and it’s also a low-investment activity. This means farmers who raise chickens can earn more while spending less money.
Conclusion
In conclusion, agricultural problems are a major issue for any nation. Some of these problems are not easy to solve, but there are 8 solutions that we can take into consideration. It is important that we know how agricultural problems can affect us and what solutions we have at our disposal so that it does not turn into an even bigger problem.
Do you have suggestions on the solutions to agricultural problems in the Philippines? Please leave a comment below.