President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led the inauguration of the country’s first mobile soil laboratory (MSL) in a ceremony at Malacañan Palace in Manila.

In a keynote speech, Marcos said the Department of Agriculture (DA) – Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) will offer free services on the first year of operation of the MSL.

This, as he emphasized the crucial role of the first-ever and newly-inaugurated MSL in the development of the agriculture sector.

Marcos said the MSL will serve as a “knowledge hub” for farmers, equipping them with new technologies and methods to ensure that the soil is healthy enough to produce “higher and more abundant yields.”

“Through this, our farmers will have the opportunity to train so that they can better understand the potential of their soil and other natural resources,” he said in Filipino.

“It is also important to note that the results from the soil analysis will be received by our farmers within five days from the submission of their soil sample, depending on the complexity of the analysis,” Marcos added.

Forming part of the National Soil Health Program and in line with the Administration’s mission to increase soil testing centers, the BSWM established the MSL, a 10-wheel truck with state-of-the-art equipment, facility, resources and safety features that aim to provide accurate and timely results to agricultural stakeholders.

The MSL is capable of analyzing 44 soil chemical, physical and microbiological, as well as water chemical parameters and will be deployed to far-flung areas to support regional soil laboratories.

Marcos said 16 MSL units would be deployed nationwide.

They will be stationed at the DA-run regional soil laboratories to serve 10 beneficiaries per day.

“This is why today, this day is historic — because it is a historic step that emphasizes the importance of agriculture in our quest to ensure sufficient food, prosperous communities, and a more united nation," Marcos said.

“This victory is proof of our tireless effort to strengthen our economy by supporting our farmers,” he added.