BBM Seeks Cheaper Fertilizer For Farmers

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has emphasized the need for the delivery of cheaper fertilizers for farmers during a meeting with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Malacañang.

Photo Insert: The government could avail of cheaper fertilizers through the G2G deals.

Marcos said there should be plans set in place to make fertilizers affordable for farmers to improve their productivity. Marcos wants the DTI to make sure that cheaper fertilizers would be made available for farmers, the OP said in a Facebook post on Wednesday night.

“President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. met with DTI to iron out plans to increase the productivity of farmers by ensuring that fertilizers can be made affordable for them,” the OP said.

Marcos, in his official Facebook account, confirmed that he met with Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual in an effort to help ease the farmers’ plight and reboot the country’s agriculture industry.

“Hangad natin na maging masigla muli ang sektor ng agrikultura kaya’t nakipagpulong tayo kay Kalihim Alfredo Pascual ng Kagawaran ng Kalakalan at Industriya upang siguraduhin ang mas abot-kayang presyo ng abono o pataba na gamit ng ating mga magsasaka (We want to revive the agricultural sector, that’s why we met with Secretary Alfredo Pascual of the Department of Trade and Industry. We want the fertilizers used by our farmers to be affordable),” he said.

The OP said Marcos continues to prepare “to secure the food supply in the country.”

In July, Marcos expressed his intent to pursue government-to-government (G2G) talks to address the increasing prices of fertilizers.

Marcos, who concurrently heads the Department of Agriculture (DA), said the government could avail of cheaper fertilizers through the G2G deals.

He is communicating with China, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Russia for the country's procurement of fertilizers. Marcos earlier directed the agriculture officials to provide data on the source and price of fertilizers, as well as on the DA’s distribution plan during the planting season.

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