THE Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) said its oversight of biofertilizers will be “developmental,” easing the permit process to hasten their greater adoption.
It said the new regulatory approach applies to “emerging products” such as biofertilizer, biopesticide and bio stimulants, FPA Office-in-Charge and Executive Director Glenn DC. Estrada told reporters.
He noted that Southeast Asia has been embracing biofertilizer in light of the rising prices of inorganic fertilizer following the Russia-Ukraine war.
Biofertilizer gained traction in the Philippines in 2022 when the Department of Agriculture (DA) promoted a balanced fertilization program, Mr. Estrada noted.
“We are taking on the developmental side of the regulations,” he said, “rather than being too restrictive about it.”
The FPA has registered multiple biofertilizer products and is seeking to further ease the application process by going paperless.
Product registrations with the agency typically take over a year to process, Mr. Estrada noted.
“We started with fertilizer (applications); perhaps in a matter of six months, we can also do digital payments,” he said.
Mr. Estrada said the FPA is working with government and private laboratories to harmonize how they test fertilizers and pesticides.
“It’s a laboratory recognition program, so anywhere you can test (the product),” he said, noting that the agency only has one laboratory.
The FPA said it is seeking P1 billion over three years to establish more locally accesible facilities.
The FPA budget is about P200 million, of which P115 million goes to personnel, Mr. Estrada noted. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza