Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. assured on Wednesday that the country’s fertilizer supply remains stable despite ongoing unrest in the Middle East.
During his visit to a fertilizer facility in Laguna, Tiu Laurel explained that the Philippines is not heavily dependent on Middle Eastern sources.
Data from 2025 showed that only 20 percent of imported urea fertilizer came from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, while the bulk was sourced from Indonesia, Malaysia, China, and Vietnam. Supplies of ammonium sulfate, meanwhile, were largely imported from China and Japan.
The secretary admitted, however, that rising costs—not supply—pose the bigger challenge, with logistics and freight expenses climbing due to regional instability.
To ease the impact, the Department of Agriculture is promoting the use of biofertilizers developed by researchers from the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
Tiu Laurel expressed confidence that with a diversified supply base and the adoption of alternative fertilizers, the agriculture sector can be shielded from escalating prices.
He noted that this approach is part of the government’s broader effort to ensure food security and protect farmers from global market volatility.