Farmers in Mangaldan are busy drying their harvested rice, but rising fertilizer prices are threatening their next cropping season in June 2026.
“Dapat talaga magbigay sila ng tulong sa amin kasi kawawa naman ang mga magsasaka,” Darwin Progreso, a farmer, said.
Farmers plan to set aside part of their harvest budget to buy fertilizer, but the cost has jumped sharply after the recent oil price hike. Prices now range from P2,000 to 2,200 per sack, up from P1,500.
“’Yung 400 dollars before the war, ngayon nasa 700 dollars per metric ton na. So, ang laki ng itinaas sa fertilizer, so kung tumaas ‘yan, ‘yung input tataas. ‘Yun ang malaking problema natin,” Engr. Rosendo So, chairman of the agricultural group SINAG, said.
SINAG noted that rising fuel costs will also push up production expenses for rice. The group urged the national government to provide a fertilizer subsidy to support farmers.
“Nag-meeting kami ng Department of Agriculture. Ang suggestion namin ay magbigay sila ng P6,000 (kada ektarya ng taniman) kasi may presentation sila kay President,” So added.
The subsidy is expected to prioritize rice farmers planting in the upcoming cropping season, helping them manage costs and sustain production amid soaring input prices.
