Vice-Mayor Bong Marquez Vies For Congressional And Senate Inquiries On The Soaring Prices Of Inputs

VICE-MAYOR BONG MARQUEZ VIES FOR CONGRESSIONAL AND SENATE INQUIRIES ON THE SOARING PRICES OF INPUTS
Vice-Mayor Walter “Bong” Marquez has called for the immediate conduct of an investigation on the abrupt upsurge in prices of farm inputs, notably fertilizers and pesticides, and find measures to assist the farmers of Sablayan and other parts of the country. The appeal was expressed through a Resolution authored by Marquez in the 118th Regular Session of the Sangguniang Bayan held on January 3, 2022, otherwise known as Resolution No. 2022-GGM003.
According to Marquez, there was an abrupt rise in prices of fertilizers which now is about to P2,600.00- P3,000.00 per sack in the market which was doubled only in months, particularly urea or the 16-0-0 and it greatly affects the livelihood of our farmers including the sufficiency of food production. “The situation leaves them with little to no income,” the vice-mayor added.
Marquez, who is a true-blooded farmer by profession, warned that high fertilizer prices will push up not only farmers’ production costs but also consumer prices. The concurrent increase in fertilizer prices and fuel costs affected the irrigation and transport expenses of farmers, according to reports that extended to him.
Complaints from local farmers and the Mangyans in Municipality of Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro reaching Marquez’s office cited that fertilizer and pesticide prices have more than doubled up. Separately, the august body also appealed to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) specifically the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) led by Executive Director Wilfredo C. Roldan to likewise conduct a thorough investigation on the matter.
Marquez further stressed that those engaged in farming are those directly hit by the miserable situation, calling all concerns to come up with an action plan on addressing the surging prices in fertilizers and pesticides which have significantly affected the farmers. “It’s again time for both Congress to be responsive to the outcry of the people, the farmers who feed the nation who are gradually dying from hunger.”