Planters Products Inc. (PPI), one of the country’s leading agro-chemical trading and marketing firms, has officially reentered the fertilizer business after more than four decades, bringing in 120,000 bags of 14-14-14 inorganic fertilizer to help lower production costs and improve rice yields nationwide.
The shipment from Vietnam arrived Monday at the Orion Dockyard in Bataan.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. welcomed the company’s comeback, saying the initiative supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s thrust for a food-secure and modernized agricultural sector.
“This initiative by PPI is fully aligned with the goal of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a food-secure Philippines and a modernized agricultural sector that delivers better income for Filipino farmers,” Tiu Laurel said.
The initial shipment can support about 20,000 hectares of rice fields, equivalent to six bags per hectare, and benefit some 20,000 farmers across the country.
PPI chief operating officer Roberto Ram Antonio said PPI’s return to the fertilizer market after 43 years underscores the government’s renewed focus on supporting farmers and strengthening local food production.
“This revival reaffirms PPI’s legacy of providing affordable, high-quality fertilizers and farm inputs that help ensure food security and agricultural growth. Under the leadership of Secretary Tiu Laurel, PPI is once again a steadfast partner in nation-building and farmer empowerment,” Antonio said.
The last recorded fertilizer importation of PPI was in 1982. Its reentry into the market marks a new chapter in its mission to support Philippine agriculture through higher crop productivity, sustainable soil management and national food security.
The company is also exploring long-term partnerships to ensure a steady and affordable supply of farm inputs crucial to achieving the country’s rice sufficiency goals.
