It is in the hands of the national government to act on the clamor of sugar farmers for a halt to the unabated increase in fertilizer prices, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Wednesday, October 27.
“We know that the national government is aware of this. Many of the presidential candidates have come up with suggestions on what to do,” he said.
It has been suggested that the national government suspend the excise tax on fuel to help bring down the price of fertilizer, Lacson said.
Considering the unabated increases in fertilizer prices, the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) earlier called on the Department of Agriculture to request the Department of Trade and Industry to impose a price cap on fertilizer prices.
The price of Urea, the most widely-used fertilizer in farming, ranged from P800 to P900 per 50-kilo bag in 2020, and has now skyrocketed to more than P2, 000 per bag, NFSP President Enrique D. Rojas said.
Potash prices increased from P900 per bag in April to more than P1,600 per bag lately, while the price of 18-46-0 also jumped from P1,100 per bag in April to a whooping P2,200 per bag, he said.
Raymond Montinola, president of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Association Inc., also called on Agriculture Secretary William Dar to act on the rising prices of fertilizer.*