The Department of
Agriculture, through the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), recognizes
the ongoing plight of local farmers relative to the hike in fertilizer prices.
With increased farm production expenses (vis-à-vis increased fertilizer prices)
comes a reduction of profit margins.
Why are the prices of fertilizers increasing?
Can FPA control the prices?
FPA attributes the current price hike to the following: 1) liberalization of
fertilizers; 2) the country as a net importer of fertilizers; 3) strengthened
global fertilizer demand; 4) increased prices of raw materials, and 5) increase(d)
transport and logistical costs.
I say: Sellers of fertilizers care more about their margins
than about farmers’ incomes. We all know:
It’s
all Economics, Costs & Returns, and nobody can break those Laws. Consequently,
the farmers should care more about their farming and decrease their costs much in
order to increase their returns much! And they can pick up a few lessons from
what Mr Dar is sharing with young agribiz minds.
Here’s a 20 December Facebook sharing of Mr Dar by Noel Ocampo Reyes:
Secretary Dar’s 10 Hot Tips For Young
Farmers And Agripreneurs:
1. Do agribusiness with a heart.
2. Eyes on the market.
3. Be infomediaries.
4. Take to heart the OneDA Reform Agenda as
your operations manual.
5. Go for economies of scale.
6. Adopt a modern mindset.
7. Immerse yourselves in the value chain.
8. Social enterprise is necessary,.
9. There is money in agriculture.
10. Interact with us boomers.
Let’s
take up just #1 – Agribusiness: I say you must be business-hearted. You must be serious in considering reducing the cost of
your growing rice: Simply decrease your cost and you simply increase your
profit. However, whatever, wherever, whichever, whyever – it’s your choice.
If I were the farmer, my first choice would be not to reduce the fertilizer that I use, amount and/or frequency of applying –
but not to use fertilizer at all!
If I were a farmer, my first choice would be what I call
now, to be melodramatic about it and memorable, Mulching
Matilda. Calling the rotavator “Matilda,” this is what I will cause to happen:
Matilda cuts into the
surface of the field shallowly, with all those weeds and crop refuse waiting,
so that her rotavator blades cut & mix at the same time soil, weeds &
crop refuse – mixing them automatically into a mulch as well as spreading that
fresh mulch evenly over the field. Isn’t that wonderful?! Immediately and
automatically, that mulch begins to deteriorate as a source of organic
fertilizer as well as moisture for the crop.
No fertilizer whatsoever, just the Matilda Mulch! This is my
single & complete source of fertilizers, plural, and my irrigation water at
the same time. Almost inexhaustible.
If you doubt the scientific value of my Mulching Matilda, I
challenge anyone to arrange for a techno demo – your farming alongside my
farming!@517
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