President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is eyeing to place soil laboratories nationwide to assist farmers in their crop production.

In a forum with farmers and fisherfolk in Nueva Ecija, Marcos said the laboratories will help boost farmers in production by determining the state of soil for farming.

At present, 16 soil laboratories are available for use and will be roamed around the country.

“We prioritized this mobile soil laboratory and this is the fastest way we can have a soil laboratory,” he said.

“We will give to each region. It will stay in one place for a while, then move around to study what the needs are, what is the right way to give aid, pesticides, everything. And also what is the situation, what is the situation on the land that you are planting so that we can maximize, increase our production,” he added.

The initiative is in its first phase, as permanent soil laboratories are being constructed.

“We have already started something. There is the Australian thing in Surigao… We want to put a permanent soil laboratory in each region. So this is just the first – phase 1, really. This is just phase 1,” he said.

Marcos said the administration is doing all it can to help farmers and fisherfolk and assured them the full support of the government.

He emphasized that one day, the country would no longer rely on importation.

“We will also reach the day when we will no longer rely so much on imports,” he said.

“That will be our sign of success when we have truly significantly reduced our purchases of imported rice,” he added.

Gawad Saka Awards

Meanwhile, Marcos also met the Gawad Saka awardees — 43 recipients recognized by the Department of Agriculture (DA).

According to the DA, the award honors the exemplary performance, outstanding contributions, and innovative ways of Filipino farmers, fisherfolk, institutions, scientists, and researchers in coping with the evolving agricultural sector towards attaining food security, sufficiency, and sustainability.

They were awarded based on innovation in the following categories: Crops Category, Livestock Category, Fisheries Category, Institution I Category, Institution II Category, Agricultural Scientist and Researcher Category, Agricultural Extension Manager and Worker Category, Youth Category, and Cross-Cutting Category.