The Philippines may not face an immediate shortage of fertilizers, but soaring global prices amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East are expected to impact farmers, according to Usec. Asis Perez of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Speaking on DZRH’s Special on Saturday (SOS), Perez highlighted the country’s heavy reliance on imported urea, the primary nitrogen fertilizer used for crops like rice, corn, and sugarcane.
“80 to 90 percent ng urea natin ay imported at karamihan sa iniimport natin ay galing sa Russia, galing sa Qatar at Saudi Arabia, maliban pa sa China,” Perez said. He noted that most of these shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, making them vulnerable to international tensions.
When asked about government support for farmers, Perez clarified that the DA has long provided a co-investment program—sometimes referred to as a subsidy—where the government contributes fertilizer while farmers also invest.
He added that the department plans to slightly increase support to offset rising costs not just for urea, but also for fuel used in farming.
“Bawat isang hectare po ng ating palayan, gumagastos po yan more or less ng 1,500 sa halaga na po ng fuel,” Perez explained.
“Halos na doble po yan. Ibig sabihin, madodoble po yung yung cost ng fuel. So yun po yung pinag-aaralan natin,” He cited ongoing assistance, such as a recent P3,000 release for fishermen in remote areas, as part of the government’s broader strategy to stabilize the sector.
Perez emphasized that supply itself is not yet a problem. “Yun pong supply naman ng mga pataba mukhang hindi tayo kagyat magkakaproblema,” he said.
“Pero ang presyo ang ating problema,” Perez emphasized, adding that in the past two to three weeks, some stores have already raised fertilizer prices by at least 300 pesos—even before any official price increase had taken effect.
As global geopolitical developments continue to influence fertilizer markets, the DA is preparing measures to cushion Filipino farmers from sudden spikes in production costs, ensuring that agricultural output remains stable amid uncertainty.
