DA says chicken poop fertilizer plant under construction

A facility capable of safely converting chicken droppings from farms affected by the avian influenza into organic fertilizer is now underconstruction, the Department of Agriculture said on Monday.

"There is a group of German and Colombian engineers ... They have technology, Mister President, of processing chicken dung into organic fertilizers," Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel "Manny" F. Piñol told President Rodrigo Duterte during a visit in the bird-flu hit province, Pampanga.

"As we speak today, tinatayo na po 'yung planta. Mabilis po, kasi nagkataon na andun 'yung equipment, available. Mabilis po kami nakagalaw agad," he added.

In a separate text message to GMA News Online, Piñol noted the private sector is spearheading the project. "It's private sector investment," he said, but did not elaborate.

The facility is expected to start operating in a week.

"In a week's time, Mister President, we will start processing chicken dung into organic fertilizer and we will turn lahar-covered areas of Pampanga into a sea of greenhouse vegetable growing areas," the Cabinet official noted.

"'Yung organic fertilizer na mapoproduce po natin, gagamitin po natin sa greenhouse to produce organic vegetable and also flowers for the local market and also the export market using the Clark airport," he said.

The avian influenza outbreak was first confirmed in San Luis in Pampanga by the Agriculture Department on April 11, where the H5N6 strain was detected in a quail farm before it spread to nearby farms.

A week later, Piñol also confirmed two farms in Nueva Ecija were also affected by the avian influenza.

In line with the government's bio-security protocols, the department ordered the culling of birds within a one-kilometer quarantine radius. A -7-km control area was also demarcated where no poultry or poultry products were allowed to leave the place.

"Ang isa po sa pinakamalaking problema natin was how to dispose chicken dung, 'yun pong tae ng manok, sapagkat dati rati po ay binebenta 'yung tae ng manok sa Cordillera, nilalagay sa vegetable farms," Piñol said.

"With the quarantine that we implemented, hindi na po natin pinayagan na lumabas 'yung tae ng manok from Pampanga. Baka mag-spread 'yung disease," he added. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/VDS, GMA News