UNIFED calls for fertilizer subsidy

The United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) urges the Department of Agriculture to subsidize the cost of fertilizers by immediately issuing a P1,000 voucher per bag of fertilizer for sugar farmers who have been greatly affected by the continuing rising cost of the commodity.

UNIFED President Manuel Lamata said cost of urea fertilizers have more than doubled in just months from the P800 to P900 per 50 kilogram bag to almost P1,900 per bag.

“This is unacceptable and we want the Department of Agriculture to act on this, otherwise our production will definitely go down again,” Lamata said.

This is one problem that needs immediate action especially since more than 80 percent of the sugar producers are small planters, Lamata added, saying “how else can our small farmers survive when the price of fertilizers is equal or even more than the price of their produce.”

This could have been prevented if the DA and the Sugar Regulatory Administration are on top of the situation and should have acted on this problem before it reached this situation, Lamata said, saying “we have yet to hear their action plan on how to resolve this or at the very least find a balance that will not cripple our industry.”

UNIFED said they are also supporting the call of Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri who earlier said that government must initiate programs to produce organic fertilizers and other proactive measures to ensure that our small farmers are protected.

“Our government has always been reactive when it comes to industry problems. It is high time that we put competent people in government agencies that foresee these problems and can provide immediate solutions,” Lamata said.*