Feed industry seeking support for local production of agri inputs

By Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

THE animal feed industry said government policy is currently tilted in favor imports of farm products rather than raw materials for use by manufacturers of farm inputs, placing Philippine producers at a disadvantage to foreign goods.

“The government should ensure easier imports of raw materials than finished goods. It’s currently easier to import uncooked fish than the raw materials needed to produce feed for fish,” Feedmix Specialist II, Inc. Vice-President Norberto O. Chingcuanco said in a Viber message.

“Our government people tend to say our domestic industry is not competitive.  Maybe it’s our government that is not competitive against other governments,” he added.

Mr. Chingcuaco added that the government should support the Philippine industry in developing fertilizers made from waste materials instead of paying for imported fertilizers.  

“Public funds should be spent on domestic development and not on supporting imports. The best way (is) to turn agri waste or food processing waste to fertilizer, which will be a win for our environment and our farmers,” he said.

The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) has said that high fertilizer prices are due to high demand, high shipping costs as well as the absence of a domestic fertilizer industry to compete with foreign products.

“We face a problem in supply. With the country’s dependence on imported fertilizers, the current global demand greatly affects the entry of fertilizer imports in our country. This caused limited local fertilizer supply that influenced the escalation of local prices,” FPA Regional Officer Leonardo A. Bangad said in a statement.

“Transport cost is expensive, and the countries producing fertilizer (are prioritizing) their constituents in domestic agriculture. We are 93% dependent on imported fertilizer, 46% of which comes from China,” he said. “The problem now is China has stopped exporting, since it needs to cater more to its (own) farmers, because it needs to feed its population. The rest of the imports come from Qatar, Vietnam, Uzbekistan and Russia.”

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is conducting bilateral discussions with fertilizer manufacturing firms in several countries to supply the most widely-used grades of fertilizer.

“The department will also promote balanced fertilization strategy and the intensified use of the Rice Crop Manager Advisory Service (RCMAS), a digital agriculture support tool for farmers,” Mr. Dar said.

“We will also capacitate federations of farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) so they can import fertilizers directly,” he added.

Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines National President Carlo E. Cua, who is also the governor of Quirino province, said that the government should look into enhancing fertilizer production in the provinces.

“Maybe it’s time for a long-term program, to plant the seeds of collaboration on fertilizer production with the DA as the lead agency with state universities and colleges, and provincial LGUs,” Mr. Cua said.

In partnership with the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, the DA also said it plans to establish 1,000 composting facilities worth P950 million nationwide.