Over the years, the disposal of rice hull has emerged as a major problem in rice production and considered a waste in rice producing provinces like Nueva Ecija.
In 2003, a collaboration between the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PHILRICE), and the Kalipunan ng mga Magsasaka para sa Likas-Kayang Sakahan sa Nueva Ecija (Association of Farmers for Sustainable Agriculture in Nueva Ecija) or KALIKASAN-NE came up with a carbonized rice hull (CRH) project to convert a traditional waste into a social enterprise product.
Research showed that CRH is rich in nutrients like potassium, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, and micronutrients that are vital to growing crops, and makes the land more permeable by allowing the soil to keep its moisture for a longer period.
CRH can also be an effective water filter, a cheap soil conditioner, and prevents the growth and subsequent multiplication of organisms that are known to cause diarrhea and other respiratory ailments.
The CRH project was piloted by the Balbalungao Organic Farmers Association (BALOFA) who exported it to Japan where it was used as a soil conditioner and generated a gross income of P45,000.00 per month.
(Contributed by HONEYLET S. MACMAC, Bachelor of Arts in Development Communication, Central Luzon State University).
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