PHILIPPINES: Hydroponics bring low-cost solution to high food prices in the Philippines

Record ID: 803806

  • Title: PHILIPPINES: Hydroponics bring low-cost solution to high food prices in the Philippines
  • Date: 12th April 2012
  • Summary: LOS BANOS PROVINCE, PHILIPPINES (RECENT) (REUTERS) ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCHER PRIMITIVO SANTOS PLACING CUPS ON STYROFOAM BOX CLOSE VIEW OF CUP WITH LETTUCE SEEDLING CLOSE VIEW OF CUPS BEING PLACED ON STYROFOAM BOX WIDE VIEW OF LETTUCE FARM IN FRONT OF LABORATORY VEGETABLES IN STYROFOAM CONTAINERS CLOSE VIEW OF LETTUCE IN STYROFOAM CONTAINER CLOSE VIEW OF ROOTS PROTRUD
  • Embargoed: 27th April 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Philippines, Philippines
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Science
  • Reuters ID: LVAE5PO8NRUBC3S3OZ98NR1DI4HJ
  • Story Text: In the Manila suburb of Twinville, the local vegetable market is bustling. On sale today - hydroponic lettuce - one of several vegetables locally grown using a new and inexpensive system developed by researchers at the University of the Philippines.
    Hydroponics is a growing method that uses dissolved nutrient solutions in water without soil for plant absorption. The researchers say they started experimenting with hydroponic systems because they require much less space than traditional farming - making it ideal for poorer farmers with little land.
    The university's Eureka Ocampo says their system is extremely user-friendy.
    "It's actually formulated in such a manner that the farmer or anybody who wants to try hydroponics does not have to watch out if there are any sudden changes in the PH that would cause a decrease in the plant growth," said Ocampo Seedlings are planted in a plastic cup with coco coir and placed in a recycled Styrofoam box filled with the hydroponic solution. Maintenance is reduced to rudimentary pest control until the crop matures and can be harvested.
    The 500 ml solution costs 200 pesos ($4.6 USD) which can accommodate up to eight crops when added to about 10 litres of water, making it three times cheaper than commercially bought solutions.
    The Agriculture Department has advocated the low cost hydroponics as part of their drive for urban farming development amid growing water shortages and rising food prices in Manila.
    Researcher Primitivo Santos says that skyrocketing food prices, have made locally grown crops increasingly popular. He says that by using their hydroponic technology, small farmers can grow food even in dry spells.
    "If time will come when there's severe water shortage, at least we have a system where we can plant and grow crops with little water," said Santos.
    In Twinville, the hydroponics programme has been so successful that the community makes a profit selling surplus crops. Homeowner Association President, Sunny Padaguan, says aside from the money - the systems has other benefits.
    "Aside from not using insecticides, we are sure that the vegetables do not have salmonella, amoeba and heavy metals. That is the big difference between a lettuce grown on the ground and lettuce grown using our system, the hydroponics," he said.
    The Philippines government has taken notice of Twinvilles' success. They plan to begin similar hydroponic programmes in other parts of the country soon.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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