MANILA, Philippines — The farmers’ group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) yesterday warned of another fertilizer scam after the Department of Agriculture (DA) issued Memorandum Order 32 mandating the distribution of biofertilizers.
Sinag head Rosendo So urged President Marcos to immediately revoke MO 32 issued by DA Undersecretary for rice industry development Leocadio Sebastian on April 27 to set the guidelines on the distribution and use of biofertilizers.
In his letter to Marcos, So stressed that the basis for the memorandum was flawed because the cost of urea is now only at P1,100 per bag compared to the P2,000 per bag price for biofertilizer.
“We are worried that another scandal that could approximate the fertilizer scam of the previous years may resurface under your presidency,” So noted, referring to the P728-million fertilizer scam in 2004.
Based on Sebastian’s memo, the DA will have a savings of P2,000 as the cost of biofertilizer per hectare is only P2,000 compared to P4,000 per hectare for urea.
But So pointed out that “the basis of MO 32 is flawed from the onset as the cost of urea is now only P1,100 per bag. At two bags per hectare, the cost of urea is only P2,200 per hectare, contrary to the claim of MO 32 of P4,000 per hectare.”
“We are disturbed by the arbitrary insistence of biofertilizers, premised on the false claim of high urea prices. Biofertilizers have yet to be proven of a higher yield and more cost-efficient to our rice farmers,” So said.
He noted that based on his initial information, the DA targets to allocate P1 billion for the procurement of biofertilizer.
At present, the government provides through DA P6,600 worth of fertilizer subsidy to rice farmers.
“Bakit biglang itinutulak na ito ang gamitin ng ating (Why the sudden push to have this used by) rice farmers? Industry sources have informed us that a former secretary and an incumbent high official of the DA have business interests in biofertilizers,” So said in his letter to the President.
So wrote a separate letter to Sen. Cynthia Villar who heads the Senate committee on agriculture and food.
According to So, the DA official bidding price of urea was only at P1,230 per bag, way below the false information of P4,000 per hectare under MO 32.
“There were no field trials nor commercial tests conducted that would merit the sudden promotion of the DA of such biofertilizers on a national scale,” he said.
So said that the rice farmers should decide on the most suitable fertilizer for their farms.
“We are seeking your immediate intervention to revoke MO 32,” So said.