Packaging

- About 5 kg or less should be packed in polyethylene bags with

0.025 thickness.
- More than 5 kg shall be packed in the woven polypropylene sack lined with polyethylene.
- For bulk purposes, the material may be delivered in any manner agreed upon by the seller and
the buyer.
- Organic fertilizer shall be packed in the following sizes according to weight or mass.

Mass Tolerance
(kg) (g)
50 +200
25 +150
10 +100
5 +50
1 +10
Table 36. Specifications of pure and fortified organic fertilizer and compost/ soil conditioner.

Item Pure Fortified/

Organic Compost/Soil Enriched
Fertilize Conditioner Organic
r Fertilizer
Total NPK  3–4% 8%minimu
 m
C/N 12:1 12:1 12:1
Moisture content < < 35% < 35%
35%
Organic matter   20%  20%
20%
Note: Total NPK=%N + %P2O5 + %K2O.
Source: FPA (n.d.).

Marketing and Labeling

The following information shall be legibly and indelibly printed on the bag.

 Name of the material (Pure or Fortified/Enriched Organic Fertilizer)

 Trade or brand name
 Guaranteed nutrient content
- Pure
% NPK
% OM or % OC
%N
- Fortified/enriched
% NPK
% OM or % OC
% moisture
 Net weight
 Business name
 Name and address of the producer or importer or repacker
 Country of manufacturer if imported

The Organic Certification Center of the Philippines (OCCP) initially prepared the Philippine
National Standards Specification for Organic Agriculture. It was then adopted by the DA through the
BAFPS. The standards for organic agriculture provides a uniform approach to the
requirements or basis of conversion to organic agriculture, crop production, livestock, processing,
special products, labeling, and consumer information. The minimum requirements set for the policy on
fertilization are the following:

 Biodegradable materials of microbial, plant, or animal origin produced in organic farms

should be the basis of the fertilization program.
 If biodegradable materials from organic farms are not available in sufficient amounts,
materials from conventional farms may be used, but shall not exceed 50% of the applied
materials. The proportions of these materials should be reduced with time and such stopgap
measures should not exceed 5 years.
 When supplementary application of fertilizer is needed, the materials must be certified as
organic fertilizer.
 In order to prevent over application of biodegradable material, a maximum application of
material containing 170 kg N/ha shall not be exceeded on a specific plot. Farms shall keep
suitable records on the application of manures.
 Run-off diversions or other means must be implemented to prevent contamination of crop
production areas with animal wastes from adjacent livestock holding facilities, fields, or waste
storage areas.
 Raw (uncomposted) manure shall be applied in a manner that prevents or minimizes
contamination of crops, soil or water, by nitrates or bacteria, pathogenic microbes, heavy
metals, and residues of prohibited substances.
a. For crops not intended for human consumption, including a cover crop, or
b. For crops intended for human consumption, provided that the manure is incorporated into
the soil and applied with sufficient time to ensure that the crop is safe for human
consumption.

i. Raw manure maybe applied no less than 90 days prior to harvest of a crop for human
consumption, whose edible portion does not come in contact with the soil surface or
soil particles;
ii. Products likely to be eaten raw (nitrate accumulators) leafy greens, or crops exposed
to contact with soil, such as rootcrops, shall require 120 days between application of
raw materials and harvest.

 Organic and mineral fertilizers and particularly those rich in nitrogen (e.g., blood meal,
farmyard slurry) should be applied in such a way that it will have minimum adverse effect on
the quality of crops (nutritive quality, nitrate content, taste, keeping quality, and plant
resistance) and environment (e.g., on ground and surface water). Storage places of manure
and compost sites should be covered or sheltered in order to prevent leaching of nutrients
and pollution of water.
 Untreated sewage and manure containing human feces shall not be used on vegetable
production for human consumption, unless it has undergone a process of anaerobic
fermentation (e.g., biogas process) or high temperature composting.
 Mineral fertilizers shall only be applied in combination with a fertilization program based on
biodegradable material and in case of obvious nutrient deficiency.

With regard to commercial production of organic fertilizer, the pertinent policies are:

 For compost activation, appropriate plant-based preparations or microorganism preparations,

not genetically modified, may be used to hasten decomposition of organic residues. The
introduction of worms for vermicomposting is allowed. Synthetic nitrogenous additives are
prohibited.
 The organic fertilizer produced should be such that the original materials are no longer
recognizable, free from plant and animal pathogens, soil-like in texture, contain not less than
29% organic matter oven-dry basis, and can supply nutrients to plants.
 Care must be exercised to prevent contamination of ground and surface water due to
leaching of nutrients from composted materials. Safety precautionary measures for
production workers such as wearing masks, gloves, and boots should be undertaken.
 Packaging shall be “environment-friendly,” simple, and not deceptive.