Marcos underscores need to address soil degradation in PH

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. underscored on Wednesday the need to address soil degradation.

"We still need to address the growing problem of degradation, acidification, and pollution in our soils," Marcos said during the National Soil Health Summit held at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.

"As the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) has reported, 75% of our total cropland is vulnerable to erosion in various degrees, with agriculture losing about 457 million tons of soil annually," he added.

He said the conversion of lands for settlements and the loss of about 47,000 hectares of forest cover every year, as well as the improper use of fertilizers, contribute significantly to soil degradation.

"Aside from these, around 11 to 13 million hectares are considered degraded. This is on top of the 2.2 million hectares that suffer from insufficient levels of soil fertility," Marcos said.

"Needless to say, our soil is under threat, and to continue to neglect this vital agricultural component will lead to an even worse crisis in the future," he added.

Marcos said the government has come up with a five-point priority agenda on soil and water management, such as the National Soil Health Program and the Implementation of Sustainable Land Management.

"This will ensure the proper use and management of soil resources, address land degradation, enhance crop productivity, and, hence, improve farmers’ income," he said.

Marcos added that the administration would empower the Bureau of Soil and Water Management to capacitate soil laboratories across the country to yield better data. —VBL, GMA Integrated News