Business Proposition
Organic fertilizer from the sea
By Roberto Garcia
Marine plants such as seagrass and seaweed abound along the coasts of Lingayen Gulf particularly in Western Pangasinan where they are washed ashore along the beach during stormy or wavy conditions. Instead of treating them as waste material, these can be converted into cash by processing them into organic fertilizer, a by-product that has a ready market in the agricultural sector. Or you can use them in your own farming projects and thus reduce production costs and increase profitability. So how do you do it?
Brown seaweeds such as sargassum, turbinaria, and hydroclathrus are suitable for making fertilizer because of their high potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus content. These are usually found in abundance and stranded in rocky shores during certain seasons. Fertilizer made from seaweed helps plant grow healthier and increase the sugar content of fruits. Another is the seagrass whose blades are also washed ashore by strong waves and cover a lot of beach areas. About a decade ago, the non-governmental organization Plan International conducted a seminar in Anda where coastal communities were taught how to process seagrass into organic fertilizer for use in their growing of crops.
Stranded seaweed and seagrass are collected during the rainy season and piled in a heap along the shore. This enables rainfall to wash down the salt content of the sea plants and render them available for composting. Seaweeds decompose at a faster rate than land plants because of their simpler structure. After composting, the fertilizer is applied in the usual manner in growing plants.
The production of organic fertilizer from stranded sea plants that are free and in large volume is significant in the light of the prohibitive costs of petroleum-based fertilizers as major inputs in both agriculture and aquaculture. Reducing production costs may mean more profits to the farmers. Moreover, the use of organic fertilizer has several beneficial effects to plant growth and soil stability and thus environment-friendly. Just ask the agriculture experts.
And, finally, the production of organic fertilizer from “wastes” in the sea can be a boon to coastal communities that can generate income from this activity. Local government initiative, together with the participation of NGOs, can organize and train coastal families on the processing of marine plants into organic fertilizer and later provide market linkage to prospective buyers.
Thus, you not only provide livelihood but also clean up the beaches!
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