La Trinidad town gets Japan grant for organic composting facility

MANILA, March 12 (PNA) -- A Japanese grant for an organic composting facility in La Trinidad municipality in Benguet province, valued at USD89,993 (about P4.12 million), was signed on Wednesday between Municipal Mayor Artemio Galwan and Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura.

The signing ceremony at the Japanese embassy in Manila was witnessed by La Trinidad town officials and Japan Agricultural Exchange Council representatives Masaki Yokomori and Juntaro Nakajima.

Agricultural land-rich La Trinidad municipality is acknowledged as the largest trading post for vegetables in the country--more than 1,000 tons from the entire Benguet Province passing through the place daily—thus ensuring steady supply to Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon.

However, over the years the municipality has been plagued by two major production problems: the increased use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides in order to cope with ever-increasing demand and the high volume of daily wastage for as much as 60 tons daily at the trading post.

Town officials want to convert this wastage into affordable organic fertilizers in order to retain good quality soil and prevent disease outbreaks and maximize production.

As such, they have initiated the processing of these wastes by setting up a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). But they just cannot produce enough organic fertilizer because of the MRF’s limited capacity.

With the grant, La Trinidad will expand and improve the MRF by constructing composting compartments inside it. The town expects that with an improved facility, increased production of organic fertilizers will ensue and farmers will have access to good quality organic fertilizers at reasonable prices.

The amount will also be used to purchase a mini front tractor loader, which will help speed up loading, unloading and mixing compost materials.

The project is also expected to help reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxides, thus contributing to environmental preservation.

The aid is disbursed under Japan’s Grassroots Grant Program (GGP), which was launched in the Philippines in 1989 to reduce poverty and help various communities engaged in grassroots level activities. (PNA)
FFC/GJB