Fertilizer price hike alarms Benguet farmers

La Trinidad, Benguet – The increasing price of synthetic fertilizers is causing serious concern among Benguet farmers, saying that the hike in price is an additional burden to already crippled local farms due to the low price of their produce caused by smuggled vegetables.

Normally, local farmers could buy synthetic fertilizers at a price of P800 per bag, but at present, the price has reached to over P2,000, which, they said, is almost triple of the earlier price.

Benguet Farmers Cooperative General Manager Agot Balanoy, as reported by Mt. Province Broadcasting Corporation, said that local farmers are heavily battered by the increasing cost of farm inputs while the price of their produce remains at a very low price.

“Kangrunaan a kaasi dagiti mannalon gapu ta agtultuloy ti panagngato ti cost of production dagitoy ngem saan met a ngumatngato ti presyo ti nateng,” Balanoy said.

Balanoy added they also worry that the price of synthetic fertilizers may continue to increase next year despite it being so expensive now for local farmers. He said they are appealing to the officials of the provincial government of Benguet and the Department of Agriculture to act on the matter.

Additionally, Benguet farmers are hopeful that concerned agencies and officials will look into the illegal importation of vegetables affecting local farmers in the province.

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