SANTA ROSA, Nueva Ecija (April 8, 2026)—The Department of Agriculture is ramping up efforts to shield farmers from volatile fertilizer prices, with Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. joining more than 100 rice farmers at a harvest festival showcasing a lower-cost fertilization protocol.
The pilot, rolled out across 10 hectares in Santa Rosa in the country’s top rice-producing province, comes as global oil and gas price swings—intensified by tensions in the Middle East—continue to drive up the cost of urea, a key nitrogen input. The initiative highlights the government’s push to reduce farmers’ exposure to energy-linked price shocks while sustaining yields.
The initiative, as directed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to find ways to boost farmers’ income and cut production cost, highlights the DA’s push to reduce farmers’ exposure to energy-linked price shocks while sustaining yields.
“This is about protecting farmers from price volatility while keeping productivity intact,” Tiu Laurel said, noting the need to rethink input strategies as production costs rise.
Under the protocol, farmers apply ammonium sulfate at one bag per hectare during seedbed preparation prior to transplanting. Within the first two weeks, two bags per hectare of high-nitrogen 21-0-0 fertilizer are added to support early vegetative growth.
Between days 18 and 25, fertilization shifts to balanced formulations such as 16-16-8 or 14-14-14 in a liquid form to strengthen root development and improve nutrient uptake. Later in the crop cycle, potassium-rich inputs such as 17-0-17 or 0-0-60 are used for top dressing to enhance grain filling and boost plant resilience.
A key feature of the approach is the use of homemade fish amino acid, applied up to 12 times from transplanting to just before harvest. The organic supplement provides an alternative nitrogen source, supports tillering, improves nutrient absorption, and promotes healthier soil microbial activity.
Tiu Laurel said combining targeted chemical inputs with organic supplements can reduce dependence on urea without sacrificing output. “We are optimizing accessible inputs while lowering farmers’ cost exposure,” he said.
Officials said the protocol is part of a broader shift toward cost-efficient and climate-resilient farming. If adopted at scale, it could help stabilize production costs, improve farm incomes, and reduce the sector’s vulnerability to global energy-driven price swings.
“This is just one of several protocols we are testing nationwide as part of a broader push for regenerative farming aimed at eventually minimizing, if not eliminating, the use of inorganic fertilizers. The ongoing energy crisis presents an opportunity to accelerate these efforts,” Tiu Laurel said.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has further pushed up prices of fossil fuel–based fertilizers, raising farmers’ input costs, squeezing incomes, and contributing to higher food prices.
“This festival is not just about the volume of the harvest, but the depth of where it comes from,” Tiu Laurel said. “Every grain of rice carries a story of hard work, resilience, and hope for every Filipino family.” ### (By DA – OSEC Comms & photo by Joseph Henry Elampayo, AFID)
