Tokyo to complete RP fertilizer grant, says Agri Dept.

(Updated 3:30 p.m.) The Agriculture Department said Monday that Japan will turnover to the Philippines some 7,000 metric tons of ammonium sulphate fertilizer worth P354 million. A turnover ceremony will be held Tuesday at Port of Poro Point in San Fernando City, La Union the department said in a statement. Meanwhile, the Japanese embassy said the turnover is part of Japan’s eighth Non-Project Grant Aid (NPGA) that was given in February 2009. “These comprise part of the 42,184 MT of fertilizers in total worth ¥700 million [about P354 million] procured by the Philippine government under the 8th NPGA," the Japanese embassy said in a separate statement Monday. The Japanese embassy said the fertilizer will “certainly help [Philippine] farmers improve the productivity for the next cropping season." Before the last shipment of 7,000 MT, five other shipments arrived in Iloilo in April, in Davao in June, in Batangas in July, in Davao in August, and in Poro Point in August coinciding with the cropping season. The shipments were consigned with Soiltech Agricultural Products Corp., La Filipina Uygongco Corp., and Danat Ferilizer Corp. The fertilizer that will be turned over Tuesday represents the last of six shipments supplied by Mitsubishi Corp., which won the supply tender in UK in February 2010. Japan’s Minister of Economic Affairs Akio Isomata and Economic Sections’ second Secretary Hirochika Namekawa will be present at the ceremony. National Agricultural and Fishery Council special project division chief Cecilia Lupisan and regional chairperson Vincent Adorna will also be there. — With Jesse Edep/VS, GMANews.TV