DA freezes 11K mindoro fertilizer bags

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has suspended the distribution and use of more than 11,000 bags of fertilizer in Oriental and Occidental Mindoro after regulators found that the products were delivered with an expired registration from the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA).

The affected shipment, supplied by Agri-Victorious Trading Corp. under a government fertilizer program, is now covered by a Stop Use, Move and Sale order. A total of 11,353 bags currently in inventory have been frozen pending the outcome of an investigation.

Authorities clarified that the volume under the order refers only to inventoried stocks being monitored by the government and does not include fertilizer already released to farmer-beneficiaries before the issue was discovered.

Although laboratory tests conducted after the incident confirmed that the fertilizer met required nutrient content and agronomic standards, regulators flagged that the sacks bore an expired Certificate of Product Registration.

DA secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stressed that documentation requirements are strictly enforced. “Farmers depend on us to ensure that every input they receive is properly registered, validated and safe. Any product without a valid registration has no place in the market,” he said.

The FPA said enforcement and technical teams were mobilized immediately after verifying the lapse. A Show Cause Order has been issued and notices of violation have been served on the supplier, directing it to explain possible compliance failures. The FPA is conducting an investigation and gathering pertinent documents to determine the appropriate legal actions against the supplier.

In Mimaropa, regional executive director Christopher Bañas said no government funds have been released for the questioned delivery, citing safeguards in procurement contracts that tie payment to compliance. He added that farmers who received earlier batches need not worry, as laboratory results confirmed the fertilizer’s quality.

Local government units in the two Mindoro provinces have been instructed to secure remaining stocks and coordinate with regional authorities while the review proceeds.