The Philippine agriculture sector could face losses of up to P75 billion if no action is taken to address rising input costs, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Wednesday.

Undersecretary Asis Perez told the Senate that fertilizer prices have surged by nearly ₱900 per bag following recent increases in petroleum products caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

_{Fertilizer price changes from March 2-6 vs. April 3, 2026 as per Department of Agriculture}

“The value that we are projecting to lose, assuming we don’t do anything, the cause of inaction for three major crops alone, and I’m talking about rice, corn, and fisheries, is already ₱75 billion,” Perez said.

Perez said the department is proposing preventive measures, including subsidies for diesel, gasoline, and fertilizers, to avoid the projected losses. “We are anticipating a catastrophe that is about to happen assuming we don’t act,” he said.

During the hearing, Sen. Bam Aquino asked whether the fertilizer price increase is already affecting the market. Perez confirmed that prices have reacted quickly to global developments.

“After two weeks of the war, prices already increased. Prilled urea, for example, is up by about ₱879 in the market,” Perez said.

Aquino noted that food prices have remained relatively stable, citing that chicken prices have even fallen in some areas, and questioned whether the DA program would cover both fuel and fertilizer subsidies. Perez then confirmed that the measures would address both sectors.

The Senate discussion comes as the DA continues to monitor market prices and push for interventions to shield farmers and fishers from the impact of rising production costs.