Bistek: Prioritize aid to farmers
UNITEAM senatorial candidate Herbert “Bistek” Bautista on Sunday appealed to the government to prioritze aid to farmers as their incomes fell sharply as a result of a spike in fertilizer prices that increased their production costs.
“The numbers are hard to pin down,” said Bautista, who is running for senator under the Bongbong-Sara ticket on a platform of Internet reform, Livelihood for all and Youth development or ILY and Pagkain para sa Pamilyang Pilipino.
“But in my campaign sorties in the provinces, I see with my own eyes the hardship of our farmers,” Bautista said.
A surge in fertilizer prices is the main driver in income decline among farmers nowadays, according to Bautista.
Citing figures from the Department of Agriculture (DA), Bautista said current fertilizer prices average P2,500 per 50-kilogram bag.
Prices were just above P1,700 in January, according to data from the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority, an agency under the DA.
“Add that to the low farm gate prices of palay and you have a disaster in your hands,” said Bautista.
Last year, farmgate prices of palay plunged to as low as P10 per kilogram but the DA said prices improved recently, rising to P14.30 per kilogram to P17.81 per kilogram.
But production cost per hectare is reaching more than P20, which means farmers are operating at a loss, said Bautista.
He proposed the distribution of free fertilizers to farmers as a form of aid.
