Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has assured that fertilizer supply in the country remains stable despite escalating tensions in the Middle East, as the agency ramps up the use of alternative sources to cushion the impact of rising global prices.

In a news release Wednesday, Tiu Laurel said the country’s exposure to supply disruptions is limited but noted that higher oil and freight costs are expected to drive up fertilizer prices following tensions affecting key trade routes such as the Strait of Hormuz.

“I reviewed all the figures on where our fertilizer comes from… supply is not the issue —it’s really the price,” he said.

He added that to cushion the impact, the DA is now prioritizing alternatives to reduce reliance on imported and inorganic fertilizers and advance the broader goal of sustainable, food-secure agriculture by boosting farm yields.

During his visit to the Agri Specialists Inc. facility in Santa Rosa, Laguna with Senator Francis Pangilinan on Tuesday, Tiu-Laurel highlighted locally produced biofertilizers.

He said the product, developed by researchers from the University of the Philippines Los Baños National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, can replace up to two 50-kilogram bags of urea fertilizer per kilogram.

“A kilo of the biofertilizer, based on company estimates, could replace two 50-kilo bags of urea-based fertilizer. Each kilogram costs PHP750 —roughly a third of the current price of around PHP2,500 of a single bag of complete 14-14-14 fertilizer,” he said.

Tiu-Laurel said the DA has been promoting biofertilizers, liquid fertilizers, and soil ameliorants even before the US and Israel airstrike on Iran in February 2026, which pushed oil prices higher as it heightened concerns over global supply chains.

Data show that only about 20 percent of the country’s 713,000 metric tons of imported urea-based fertilizers in 2025 came from Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

He said the bulk of supplies was sourced from Asian countries such as Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, China, and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, imports of ammonium sulfate fertilizers were entirely from China and Japan, further reducing dependence on Middle Eastern routes.

However, despite stable supply, the DA estimates that higher fertilizer and transport costs could push food prices up by PHP2 to PHP5 per kilogram, with rice expected to be the most affected due to its heavy fertilizer requirements.

The DA said field trials indicate that farmers can cut urea use by half or more without sacrificing yields, helping offset rising input costs.

“If you used to apply 10 sacks of urea, you might now be able to use only half or even just three,” Tiu-Laurel said, citing successful trials using bio-based and nanotechnology-driven solutions.

Meanwhile, Pangilinan said the energy crisis caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could also threaten the country’s food security if left unaddressed, particularly given its impact on fertilizer supply, noting that the DA’s budget was already insufficient before the crisis.

Given the situation, Pangilinan called for a review of the 2026 national budget, adding that senators are prepared to pass a supplemental budget if necessary.

Tiu Laurel assured that the government will continue scaling up alternative inputs and other interventions to help stabilize production and protect consumers from sharper price increases amid the ongoing Middle East crisis. (PNA)