The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority OIC Executive Director Julieta Lansangan unveiled the plans for F.Y. 2024 during the Department of Agriculture (DA) Internal Budget Hearing held at Hacienda Gracia Resort and Hotel, Lubao, Pampanga on March 13-16, 2023, proposing a total of Php 394,445,000 for continuous regulatory services and upgrades.

The total budget proposal mainly focused on quality control and inspection through intensifying regulatory functions, promoting the Balance Fertilization Strategy (BFS), upgrading fertilizer and pesticide regulatory programs and services, and policy reforms through updating the Fertilizer and Pesticide guidelines.

These programs were aligned with the 1st and 4th Strategic Agenda of the Department of Agriculture for boosting local production and strengthening institutions to enhance efficiency and accelerate the modernization of the sector.

Moreover, OIC Lansangan emphasized the need to increase expenditures on the establishment of Border Control Management to address the root cause of the irregularities in the distribution and the proliferation of “off-specification” agricultural inputs in the market.

Through this, FPA plans to strengthen the inspection of imported fertilizers as early as their entry into ports and intensify the Regional Field Unit monitoring activities in remote areas. With this in mind, the budget proposal for F.Y. 2024 was directed to protect the farmers against fraudulent products that are unregistered, tampered with, counterfeit, off-specification, and mislabeled.

Other plans and activities were also presented, such as the amendment of Presidential Decree No. 1144 and its implementing rules and regulations (IRR), the development of a fertilizer and pesticide online system for product registration and licensing, strengthening the enforcement and conduct of entrapment (Buy Bust) operations, expansion of the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) Laboratory Recognition Program, and a comprehensive information caravan on the safe and judicious use of fertilizers and pesticides.