Half of targeted farmers avail of fertilizer discount coupons

CEBU – The Department of Agriculture recently revealed that half of its targeted beneficiaries of the fertilizer subsidy program have already acquired discount coupons for them to avail of farm fertilizers at lower cost.

In a press release, the DA said that the coupons have benefited farmers who are tilling 1.33 million hectares of farmlands nationwide which is half the DA’s target coverage of 2.6 million hectares.

The agency said it is still part of the ongoing initiatives of President Gloria Arroyo to carry out her pledge to raise the country’s food sufficiency level and increase countryside income.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the program, which is implemented in coordination with the local government units, is a major component of the government’s national sufficiency program aiming at making the country 98 percent sufficient in staple food by 2010.

Yap and local executives embarked in the subsidy program to help small farmers struggling from the spiraling cost of farm input costs.

This might also enable the farmers to rapidly raise their yields by using the right amount of fertilizers for their crops.

DA recorded that prices of fertilizers have more than doubled this year to a range of P1,500 to P1,900 per bag which is one of the effects of the rise in oil rates in the world market.

The subsidy program hands out two P250 worth discount coupons per hectare to each farmer plus another four coupons distributed by LGUs to same farmer beneficiaries in their localities.

It means that a farmer may have as many as six discount coupons per hectare equivalent P1,500 discounts when they purchase fertilizers.

However, farmers are allowed to use one coupon per bag so they may still comply with the ideal input requirement of six bags per hectare. — Jessica Ann Pareja/WAB (THE FREEMAN)