MAKILALA, NORTH COTABATO | June 23, 2022– Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) SOCCSKSARGEN headed by FPA Regional Officer Alita Bornea together with Provincial Officers (PO) Maricel Tabigue and Joey Pascua, attended the product stewardship program of Bayer CropScience, Inc. where they introduced the FPA mandates, and promoted the Balanced Fertilization Strategy (BFS) Program to 56 Farmers in Makilala, Cotabato, on June 21, 2022.

The program proper commenced with the presentation of FPA briefer by PO Tabigue emphasizing the mandates and functions of FPA, a regulatory agency under the Department of Agriculture, created to:

• assure the agricultural sector of adequate supplies of fertilizer and pesticides through weekly monitoring of prices and Inventories to all FPA Licensed Dealers and Distributors;
• rationalizing the manufacture and marketing of fertilizers;
• protecting the public from the risks inherent in the use of pesticides; and
• educating the agricultural sector on the use of fertilizer and pesticide products.

Mr. Allen Jay Ponce of Bayer CropScience, Inc., lectured on the safe and judicious use of pesticides. He shared the proper type, amount, time, and application of agricultural pesticides and the use of proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE’s). He also discussed proper labeling, classification, identification of pesticides and their hazards, and signal words to use. He also promoted the proper handling and disposal of pesticide containers through triple rinsing.

PO Pascua explained the reasons for the unprecedented increase in fertilizer prices. Moreover, he promoted a program that encourages the use of combined organic and inorganic inputs and other forms of strategies (using farm wastes, animal manures, and even green manuring) to attain the maximum potential of farmlands while promoting balanced fertilization in maintaining soil fertility, which is the BFS, – a program of the Department of Agriculture through the OneDA Approach.

PO Pascua also encouraged the farmers to submit soil samples to DA-Soils Laboratory in the region to determine the status of their farm and consult for appropriate fertilizer recommendations. In addition, he explained the role of FPA in the BFS program, which is to:

• monitor the prices and sources of fertilizers;
• provide the list of registered fertilizers, licensed handlers, and product lines; and
• provide data on available fertilizers in the region.

The activity was in collaboration with the Local Government Unit of Makilala thru its Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) headed by Acting Municipal Agriculturist Venancia Bangot, and with Bayer CropScience, Inc represented by Mr. Ponce, the Product Stewardship Associate of Mindanao.

The participants of the program expressed their interest in having their soil tested as they hoped to use their learnings on BFS in their farming strategy. ###