Corn growers urge DA to stop adulteration of fertilizer bags

MANILA, Philippines - Corn growers are asking the Department of Agriculture to stop the alleged adulteration and underweighing of fertilizer bags in various provinces.

Philippine Maize Federation (PhilMaize) president Roger Navarro told reporters yesterday that this practice may adversely affect production of corn and other agricultural commodities.

He said many corn farmers have been complaining of underweighing of fertilizer bags and adulteration of fertilizers.

In some cases, Urea is added with industrial salt or amosul. In others, Potash is mixed with other components like red cement or achuete.

Philmaize also alleged that kaserite is mixed with limestone.

Other fertilizer combinations are also adulterated by unscrupulous traders, the group alleged.

Navarro said Philmaize asked the DA to create a task force through the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) to monitor the fertilizer industry and make sure that charges would be filed against unscrupulous traders.

The group is also asking the DA, through the FPA, to delist and ban unscrupulous fertilizer dealers and manufacturers from doing business.

In a letter dated July 4 addressed to Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Philmaize said the proliferation of adulterated fertilizers defeats the hard work of farmers.

“The farmers are always at the losing end in these irresponsible, dishonest quests to make money by some fertilizer manufacturers and dealers in the country. It’s a pity, while farmers buy all their inputs with their hard-earned savings and worse, through informal lending, seeds and planted them, fertilizing them – only to find out that they have little yield, simply because they were supplied with adulterated and underweighted fertilizers,” Navarro said.

Based on farmers’ planting intentions, corn output in the third quarter of this year is expected to increase to 2.436 million MT this year from 2.431 million MT in the same period last year.

Navarro said, however, that because of adulterated fertilizers, yield may fall by 30 percent and soil quality may suffer.