Farmers in Western Visayas will soon gain access to free, on-the-spot soil testing with the launch of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) ₱42-million Mobile Soil Laboratory (MSL), set to begin operations in October.
The mobile facility, a customized 10-wheeler truck from the DA’s Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), carries state-of-the-art equipment capable of performing 44 chemical, physical, and microbiological tests.
The service will provide farmers with science-based data to improve productivity and strengthen soil health for long-term sustainability.
“This is a significant step in showing our farmers that science can bring greater improvements to agriculture and their livelihoods,” said DA-6 Regional Executive Director Dennis R. Arpia, thanking President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. for supporting the initiative.
According to Regional Soils Laboratory chief Babylou Magdaug, the MSL can deliver test results within five days—or even on the same day if samples are collected quickly.
The unit is one of 16 mobile soil labs distributed nationwide on June 30 as part of the National Soil Health Program Strategy 2: Monitoring of Soil Health, under Presidential Decree No. 1435. The program seeks to make soil testing more accessible and reliable for farmers across the country.
By bringing laboratory services directly to the field, the DA aims to help producers of rice, corn, vegetables, high-value crops, and fruits adopt data-driven crop management practices—allowing for the precise application of fertilizers and more efficient land use.IMT
