The government will try to reallocate funds to buy organic fertilizers for rice due to a spike in the price of urea, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told reporters on Wednesday.
The urea price hike is due to the Iran war which has restricted passage in the Strait of Hormuz, where 30 percent of the global urea trade and 20 percent of ammonia and phosphate shipments go through.
Urea is a cost-effective, synthetic nitrogen fertilizer that promotes rapid vegetative growth, enhances photosynthesis, and increases crop yields. It is versatile, suitable for all soil types, and acts as an efficient nitrogen boost for leaves, stems, and root development in agriculture and gardening.
It currently sells between P2,600 to P2,800 per 50-kilogram bag, Tiu Laurel said, noting that it‘s more practical to procure cheaper organic fertilizer [such as biofertilizers or liquid fertilizers] for farmers.
“If I remember correctly, [fertilizer funds] are about P10 billion. We‘ve used it partially, but there‘s still a lot left,” he said.
The DA is also communicating with other countries on buying fertilizers in case supply becomes a problem, although Tiu Laurel said the country has enough to last until June, following his recent meeting with the Fertilizer Association of the Philippines.
Tiu Laurel said the DA is keen on trying alternative fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate and ammonium chloride, as well as soil inoculants, biofertilizers, and liquid nitrogen options like Agri N and Bio N, among others.
He noted that one liter of alternative fertilizer is equivalent to two bags of urea. However, alternative fertilizer costs about P1,000 while two bags of urea are worth over P5,000.
Farmers must be open to the idea of alternative fertilization techniques and technologies, Tiu Laurel said, pointing out that a farm harvested 11 tons of good quality palay (unhusked rice) per hectare using alternative fertilizers.
“We just need to convince our farmers that, in times like these, [they should] try it and shift to protect their income and continue planting,” he said.
Sufficient fertilizer application plays an important role in rice production, Tiu Laurel said.
