MANILA, Philippines – Some farmers in Central Luzon who received fertilizers from the Department of Agriculture (DA) as part of the government’s COVID-19 assistance claimed that items provided were overpriced. ADVERTISEMENTHowever, both said that the average retail price of urea fertilizer was only P850 per bag. Meanwhile, a December 2019 report from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the average price of urea fertilizers in the country was then at P1,121.57 per sack. It is worth noting though that PSA was seeing a downward trend in the price of fertilizers before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Philippine shores. Still, Domingo insisted that DA had the leverage to appeal for lower prices of fertilizers because it was engaging in a wholesale purchase of the fertilizers.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer June 10, 2020 15:45 UTC