Arroyo to farmers: Drop urea for organic fertilizers

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Tuesday encouraged farmers to use organic fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers like urea, the price of which she said had skyrocketed by 200 percent in the last two years. A Malacañang statement said President Arroyo made the pitch during a phone patch interview with Abulog, Cagayan Mayor Aline Alfonso at the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Cabinet meeting at the Justice Department in Manila. "Urea is oil-based and we know the price of oil today. So ang gagawin natin ngayon (so what we will do is) massive investment in organic fertilizer," she said. Interestingly, urea was the fertilizer at the center of the P728-million fertilizer scam whose proceeds allegedly went to President Arroyo's campaign kitty in the 2004 presidential race. During the phone-patch conversation with the President, Mayor Alfonso said farmers in her town can barely make ends meet despite registering more than 85 percent increase in palay production lately. She cited the high prices of urea, which have gone up from P980 to P1,600 per bag. On the other hand, President Arroyo also said farmers should be encouraged to use chicken manure as fertilizer, adding it has been found to be as effective as urea. She also talked with Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, Agusan del Sur Governor Ma. Valentina Plaza, and Occidental Mindoro Governor Josephine Sato, who all reported increases in palay harvests in their respective provinces. The President assured the local government officials that the national government will provide them with certified seeds and organic fertilizers so that farmers can plant right after this harvest season. Earlier, President Arroyo ordered a stepped up food production under a six-point assistance program to make food abundant, accessible and affordable. The program is called Fields -- for Fertilizer, Irrigation, Infrastructure, Extension and Education, Loans, Dryers and other post-harvest and post-production facilities, and seeds and other genetic materials. President Arroyo also allocated P500 million from the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) for fertilizer support and production, especially organic fertilizers. She said billions more would be spent on infrastructure such as ports, airports, farm-to-market roads and the rehabilitation and establishment of new irrigation systems. - GMANews.TV