WasteX uses Tarlac mill to improve crop yields

CLIMATE tech startup WasteX is using its Tarlac mill in northern Philippines to help local farmers improve yields and cut costs using the company’s biochar technology.

“With WasteX’s solution, agricultural expertise and ongoing operational support, we are now able to offer biochar to our rice farmers and improve their livelihood,” Renato KaKa Constantino, social entrepreneur officer at the Tarlac mill, said in an e-mailed statement. “We also wish to make rice farming a more profitable occupation to attract the younger generation.”

By making biochar — a charcoal-like substance made by burning organic material from agricultural and forestry wastes — readily available, the company aims to foster widespread adoption of the technology, the company based in Singapore said.

“This initiative comes at a crucial time, with fertilizer prices skyrocketing and agricultural yields suffering,” it added.

Biochar produced at the facility will be distributed to farms within the mill’s extensive network in the next planting cycle to support local rice production and encourage younger generations to embrace the agricultural sector, WasteX said.

The use of biochar not only reduces reliance on expensive materials but also promotes long-term soil health and resilience, it said.

It added that biochar promotes more resilient crops by binding fertilizer minerals, retaining water, enriching soil, locking in carbon in soil and reducing overall fertilizer use. “It’s a promising means for farmers to adapt and thrive in this changing landscape.”

WasteX wants to simplify the adoption process of biochar in agriculture. It offers an end-to-end integrated biochar solution consisting of its own proprietary equipment, mobile app, full implementation, support with biochar application in agriculture and carbon credit facilitation to maximize the benefits for agricultural producers and farmers.

“WasteX’s solution addresses both climate mitigation through carbon removal, and adaptation through facilitating more resilient agriculture,” it added.

The startup has said it had secured $450,000 (P25.4 million) in funding from impact fund P4G Partnerships, less than two years since WasteX was established by venture builder Wavemaker Impact.

The company said it is poised for growth in the Philippines and Southeast Asia through expanded reach, cutting-edge biochar equipment and the fresh funding.

At the center of WasteX’s biochar technology is its proprietary small-scale and semi-automated carbonizer equipped with a dual-action burner.

While conventional carbonizers rely either on electricity or burning biomass for heat generation, WasteX’s carbonizer uses both biomass fuel and captured syngas produced during biomass pyrolysis, significantly enhancing energy efficiency.

“Furthermore, by recapturing and reutilizing syngas for heat generation used in biochar production, WasteX minimizes the potential for methane emissions, contributing to a more environment-friendly process,” the startup said.

It said it had completed several biochar implementations on diverse crops in the Philippines and Indonesia, demonstrating “impressive results.”

In corn farming, biochar application resulted in a 95% increase in yield while reducing fertilizer by 50%. Rice yields also increased by 38% with biochar application, along with the potential for long-term fertilizer reduction of as much as 50%, it said.

“These findings highlight the immense potential of WasteX’s biochar technology to revolutionize agricultural practices by enhancing productivity and promoting sustainable resource management,” it added. — Norman P. Aquino