Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority
|Established:||May 30, 1977|
|Director:||Norlito R. Gicana|
The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) is the agency of the Philippine Department of Agriculture which is responsible for overseeing matters regarding fertilizer supply and production. It is also tasked to conceptualize and implement policies that involve fertilizer and pesticide production, marketing, and distribution, as well as to educate the members of the agricultural sector and the public about the dangers that fertilizers and pesticides pose to their health.
Due to an oil crisis and a series of typhoons, the Philippines experienced rice production problems and fertilizer shortages from 1972 to 1973. This prompted the government to create the Fertilizer Industry Authority (FIA) through Presidential Decree No. 135 issued on 22 February 1973. Through this agency, the government planned to control and increase the production of fertilizer and pesticides, which are both integral components of food production.
However, tthe FIA held common tasks and responsibilities, such as managing the government's own food production program. This prompted the issuance of Presidential Decree No. 1144 on 30 May 1977, abolishing the FIA. The same decree created the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, which took over the combined functions of the FIA and the government's food program.
An attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, the FPA is tasked to ensure that fertilizers and pesticides are available at reasonable prices. It is also responsible for overseeing fertilizer and pesticide production in the Philippines and regulating imports from other countries; protecting the public and informing them about the dangers and risks of using fertilizers and pesticides; and educating the agricultural sector about the proper use of these implements.
Only the production of agricultural pesticides fall under the FPA's jurisdiction, however. Urban pest control products are not subject to the rules and regulations imposed by the agency.
Mandate and Objectives
The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority's main goal is to improve agricultural production in the Philippines through implementation of effective plant nutrients and crop protection techniques until it reaches sustained productivity. It aims to inform the country's sector of farmers and fisherfolks about efficient developments in the agricultural field, which will help them manage and protect the country's land and marine resources.
To empower the farmers and fisherfolks, the agency seeks to improve the country's food production capacity and to develop a continuing relationship with its stakeholders, all while protecting the coutnry's indigenous resources.
Thrusts and Programs
Specific FPA programs and strategies are designed to address the different issues that farmers and fisherfolk encounter in the food production process. These include:
- Integrated Plant Nutrition System (IPNS) designed to address plant nutritional needs for unfavorable soil fertility conditions; and
- Integrated Crop Protection System (ICPS) which is a system for crop protection that integrates farm productivity with protecting human health and the environment.
The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority releases regular publications that are used to inform the public about the recent developments in the fertilizer and pesticide production field. These publications include:
- FPA Newswatch;
- Pesticide Monitoring System Development Project Bulletin;
- Fertilizer Statistics; and
- Sagana ng Bayan
- "FPA's jurisdiction only over agri pesticides." Supreme Court of the Philippines Website. (Accessed on 21June 2010)
- "Publications." Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority Website. (Accessed on 21June 2010)
- "The Creation of FPA." Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority Website. (Accessed on 21June 2010)