Marcos orders advance fertilizer, seed stockpiling

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. ordered the Department of Agriculture (DA) to procure fertilizer, seed and other inputs and pre-position them to minimize distribution delays.

Speaking at the 2026 National Confederation of Irrigators Associations general assembly in Quezon City on Tuesday, Mr. Marcos said he instructed Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. to front-load procurement of farm supplies ahead of planting.

 Mr. Marcos warned that last-minute procurement — particularly of imported supplies — could result in months of shipping and inland transport delays before goods reach farms.

“I told them to buy early so that when planting season comes, everything is already there,” Mr. Marcos said.

The government is seeking to raise farm productivity and stabilize food supply amid persistent price pressures and weather disruptions.

Stockpiling and pre-positioning, he added, would allow the government to distribute assistance more efficiently and cushion farmers from price spikes or delivery lags.

The administration is seeking to modernize agriculture, including the operations of the National Irrigation Administration. Proposed measures include of a command center capable of real-time telemetry and satellite-fed weather monitoring.

Former Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said the strategy is sound risk management.

“This is a very good strategy of DA procuring the needed inputs way ahead for better and on time distribution of the same,” he said via Viber.

Mr. Dar added that early procurement would not necessarily fuel food inflation. With timely input assistance and proper agricultural practices, productivity could rise, potentially boosting farmer incomes and stabilizing supply.

However, other analysts highlighted structural issues in the food value chain.

Jayson H. Cainglet, executive director of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, pointed to the persistent gap between farmgate and retail prices, and argued that inflationary pressures stem largely from distribution markups and intermediary costs.

“There is a disconnect between production/farmgate price and retail prices,” he said via Viber. “Farmers are always blamed for food inflation or price pressures when the real drivers are distribution markups, weak price transmission, and high intermediary margins.”

“Front loading as a concept is a positive development as farm input distribution has always been late and in other instances, substandard — thereby impacting yield and productivity.”

Mr. Cainglet supports early distribution but proposed alternative mechanisms, such as vouchers, allowing farmers to purchase supplies directly from dealers based on their specific needs.

Former Agriculture Undersecretary Fermin D. Adriano cautioned that centralized procurement assumes an efficient bureaucracy capable of competitive pricing and accurate demand forecasting.

“This is under the assumption that the bureaucracy is efficient; that it can buy stocks at a competitive price; that they know the demand for inputs by the rice farmers for each province; the time farmers need them; with the DA capable of properly stocking them,” he said via Viber.

He advocated direct cash assistance instead of centralized input procurement, arguing that cash transfers would reduce logistical risks and corruption while allowing farmers to choose inputs tailored to their operations.