Farmers’ monthly income could fall to less than half the minimum wage in some areas due to rising fertilizer costs, Senator Risa Hontiveros warned, as she renewed her push for a supplemental aid package to support the agriculture sector.
Citing estimates from her office, Hontiveros said farmers in regions like Central Luzon may earn as low as P7,275 a month, far below the roughly P16,200 minimum wage for agricultural workers, amid soaring input costs and declining farmgate prices.
“Rising costs and limited fertilizer supply threaten lower yields, higher food prices, and rock-bottom earnings for our farmers,” she said, urging Congress and Malacañang to pass a proposed P52.8-billion supplemental budget, which includes an initial P2.8-billion subsidy for fertilizer.
She noted that global tensions have pushed fertilizer prices up by as much as 30 to 40 percent, while increased rice imports continue to drag down farmgate prices, squeezing farmers’ already thin margins.
Without immediate government intervention, Hontiveros warned that many farmers may be forced to stop planting, putting the country’s food security at risk, as she called for expanded and sustained support beyond current assistance programs.IMT
