Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 1) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is pushing for the use of biofertilizers in the agriculture sector as the government seeks to lessen the importation of fertilizers.
During his meeting with agriculture officials on Tuesday, Marcos admitted that local producers are “totally dependent” on petroleum-based fertilizer, which is costly for farmers.
“Now, we are going to introduce biofertilizer to our farmers and teach them how to use it,” he said. “And hopefully, this will ease our concerns when it comes to the supply of fertilizer. And we can fully control the availability of biofertilizer.”
The president said the shift will not immediately mean farmers would stop relying on non-organic fertilizers, such as urea.
“There will still be a mix… But, we will lessen our dependence on importation when it comes to fertilizer supply,” he explained.
In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office said the Department of Agriculture conducted trials on biofertilizers, which can be produced locally.
During his state visit to China, Marcos also secured deals with Chinese producers to lower the prices of fertilizers.
