By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
The unabated increase in fertilizer cost despite the call for a price freeze is causing trouble to the sugar industry now that the milling season is already peaking and sugar planting has commenced in many areas in Negros Occidental.
Former Sugar Regulatory Board Member, Atty. Dino Yulo, said that prices of fertilizers have more than doubled compared to last year.
Urea, which is the fertilizer grade most heavily used by farmers, was selling at around P900 per 50-kilo bag about 18 months ago.
“We are now buying it at P2,300-P2,400 per bag,” Yulo said.
He said they have been feeling the effects since the last planting season and in fact, they called out several months ago for national intervention, particularly to the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), yet there had been no concrete action.
“Coupled with that is also the petroleum price hike that has almost doubled as well, with diesel fuel breaching the P50 per liter mark,” Yulo said.
He further stated that these price hikes in two major farm inputs will definitely have a “severe impact” in the sugar industry.
Super typhoon “Odette” has also affected most of southern Negros that even led to the temporary stoppage of sugar mills. The planters in the south may not be able to survive this crisis if DTI will not step in and ensure that fertilizer’ cost is keep at bay.
Since September of last year there have been appeals for fertilizer subsidies and setting a price cap on this particular commodity, yet their appeal has not been acted upon.
“This alone has led to our production cost skyrocketing as well. And with the sugar planting season now commencing, we do not know how our producers can survive this, especially the farmers in the south,” Yulo added.
Last year, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson expressed hope that the national leaders will address concerns surrounding the sharp rise on the price of fertilizers.
Lacson suspected the reason behind the sharp increase in fertilizer cost was due to the high cost of fuel.
Confederation of Sugar Producers Association Inc. (Confed) President Raymond Montinola, meanwhile, said they have expressed concern over the situation which may result in low farmers’ productivity and affect the government’s food security program./DGB, WDJ