FPA VERIFIES NEUTRAL BAG REPORTS

Written by Fertilizer Regulations Division  l   Published: 07 December 2021

December 7, 2021, Quezon City. The Fertilizer Regulatory Division (FRD) of the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) through its regional and provincial field units (RFUs) across the country conducted a spot inspection on November 22-29, 2021 to fertilizer handlers on their respective areas to confirm reports of fertilizers being distributed in blank or neutral bags. The said practice goes against the agency’s labelling requirements which states that product labels must clearly display the name and address of the distributor, the registration, as well as the country or origin, among other things, of the product.  A mislabeled product can mislead or even deceive consumers, or worse, potentially affects the supply chain.

The RFUs’ inspection was mainly composed of visits to the warehouses as well as stores of licensed fertilizer handlers up to the farmer or consumer level. Upon conclusion of this expansive endeavor, there were no licensed dealers observed to practice neutral bagging, thereby giving no direct proof of malpractice as reported by concerned citizens in Regions 11 and 12. 

Nevertheless, all RFUs vowed to be more vigilant in monitoring and to reinforce coordination with stakeholders in their assigned areas to avoid as well as report the proliferation of neutral-bagged fertilizers. Information materials regarding correct labelling is also an integral part of preventing this as it educates all stakeholders on the proper labelling requirements, which is an important topic being discussed during good stewardship and accreditation seminars. This topic was also discussed in the webinar series that FPA holds, the second season of which had just ended last October.