THE House of Representatives, particularly the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, is being asked to probe complaints of farmers against the high prices of fertilizers and pesticides.
In House Resolution 2432, it noted that based on latest data from the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), the retail price of “prilled Urea fertilizer” went up by 56 percent, or about P1,630.95 per 50-kilo bag, compared to the P1,047.94 price for the same period last year.
The price of “complete fertilizer,” on the other hand, rose by 31 percent to bring to P1,404.23 the price of a 50-kilo bag. Aside from this, the price of “ammonium sulfate fertilizer and MOP fertilizer” also saw an increase.
Due to the skyrocketing prices of fertilizer, farmers are finding it more difficult to produce or plant agricultural products such as palay or rice, lower earnings, or because of competition brought about by cheaper imported rice that’s flooding the market.
The resolution emphasizes that the government should act to prevent the prices of fertilizers and pesticides from rising further in order to boost local rice production, enhance the quality of products, and be able to compete in the global market.
Under Presidential Decree 1144, the FPA has the mandate to ensure that the agriculture sector has sufficient supply of fertilizers and pesticides under a reasonable price scheme, and to control or regulate its pricing in order to protect farmers.