BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental’s Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson yesterday expressed hope that national leaders would address the sharp rise in the price of fertilizers.
“It has reached my attention, and we also use fertilizers on farms. Urea (costs) P800 last year, but the price has climbed to P1,800 per sack now,” Lacson said.
According to Lacson, the sharp increase in fertilizer cost may have been due to the high cost of fuel.
Confederation of Sugar Producers Association Inc. (Confed) president, Raymond Montinola was alarmed.
The high fertilizer cost may result in low farmers’ productivity and affect the government’s food security, according to Montinola.
Montinola said the matter has been brought to the attention of Agriculture secretary William Dar.
In a letter, Montinola said the federation appreciates the assistance extended by the Department of Agriculture, especially in facilitating a meeting with the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) and the Planters Products Inc. in July this year in a bid to have a quick action plan and to link them with a major fertilizer importer-trader that could give a reasonable price.
He lamented, though, that while the price of Urea and related farming costs continue to skyrocket to unprecedented levels, sugar prices remain the same./PN
