MANILA — Sen. Cynthia Villar on Tuesday pressed on the Department of Agriculture (DA) officials’ basis in choosing to buy more imported chemical fertilizer as against organic fertilizers.

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“Palaging biased sa chemical fertilizer na imported... Wala kayong masasabi sa akin na yung composting is not a good practice. Sabi nga ng PhilRice, may additives lang… Bakit pa bibili ng chemical fertilizer?” Villar said.

Agriculture Undersecretary Mercedita Sombilla said they are also encouraging composting.

"[But] yung performance ng inorganic fertilizer, hindi masu-supplant ng organic,” he said.

But Villar insisted in favor of natural farming.

“I don’t think so. Sa France, natural farming... Wag niyo sasabihin na productivity. Sabi ng PhilRice, kayang kaya nila…. Hindi ko naman kayo pinagbabawalang mag-import, sana may transition. Local vs. import,” Villar told the DA officials.

"I’m not a farmer. This is just common sense, I‘m watching them. I want to increase the income of farmers and fisher folks. I want them to be middle class or at least lower middle class… I hope you will review policy on imported chemical fertilizer and imported hybrid seedlings,” she added.

Sen. JV Ejercito, for his part, stressed on the need to conduct soil testing to increase agriculture production.

Dr. Gina Nilo, Office-in-Charge of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, in response reported the agency’s acquisition of soil-testing equipment supported by a P500 million budget.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III pressed for the President’s appointment of a new DA secretary so the government can aim to effectively address the country’s food problem.

“Naghanap nga ako kanina sa hearing ng agri, sabi ko, ‘secretary.’ Wala pala akong matanong na secretary, that’s the problem,” Pimentel remarked.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. currently sits as acting Agriculture Secretary.

For Pimentel, the fertilizer assistance being given to farmers is still insufficient for a sector that really needs to enliven its production.

Among the support that farmers receive from the DA, according to Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Financial Assistance Arnel de Mesa, is fertilizer assistance, which is P6,600 per hectare of farmland and can be availed of for up to two hectares.

The said program covers around 1.8 million farmers, De Mesa said.

“Kulang talaga. Kasi number 1, tumaas naman talaga ang presyo kasi ng fertilizer. And then, yung dependence natin sa fertilizer nakakalungkot din. Meron din itong kuneksyon sa kalidad ng ating lupa na ginagamit natin sa ating agricultural crops like rice,” Pimentel said.

DA officials also discussed its continuing study to produce high-yielding seeds aimed at enhancing food production in the country.

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRICE) said RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) helped them in developing more high-yield seeds, they said.

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“Sa dina-dami ng varieties na napo-produce, meron po tayong 18 na varieties na dini-distribute sa mga farmers.. Labing-walo po dahil iba-iba ang kundisyon bawat region,” PhilRICE Executive Director John De Leon said.

The committee on finance will resume its deliberation of the DA and its attached agencies’ budget on Wednesday.

The DA has a proposed P163.8 billion budget for 2023.

FROM THE ARCHIVE

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