After more than four decades of absence in the fertilizer trade, the government has revived the role of Planters Products Inc. (PPI), the agro-chemical trading at marketing arm of the Department of Agriculture, importing an initial 120,000 bags of 14-14-14 inorganic fertilizer to help lower production costs for farmers and improve rice yields.
“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,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.
At six bags per hectare, Tiu Laurel said the initial volume can support about 20,000 hectares of rice fields and benefit some 20,000 farmers across the country.
PPI President and Chief Executive Officer Ma. Zenaida B. Angpin together with PPI Chief Operating Officer Roberto Ram V. Antonio, BOC District Collector Blesilda Balagtas, DA Regional Technical Director Irene Adion of Region 3 witnessed the reception ceremony Monday, October 20, of the imported 14-14-14 (Triple14) complete fertilizer at the Orion Dockyard in Bataan.
DA said the fertilizer was sourced from Vietnam and will be made available ahead of the upcoming planting season. The 14-14-14 blend contains equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium—vital macronutrients that promote robust leaf growth, root development, grain formation, and improved resistance to pests and diseases.
PPI chief operations officer Roberto V. Antonio said the corporation’s return after a 43-year absence in the fertilizer market underscores the Marcos administration’s strong commitment to serving the Filipino farmers.
“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.
PPI last imported fertilizer in 1982. Its re-entry into the fertilizer trade marks a new chapter in its mission to support Philippine agriculture—by enabling higher crop productivity, sustainable soil management, and national food security.
PPI is also exploring future partnerships to ensure long-term supply and affordability of farm inputs critical to the country’s rice sufficiency goals.
PPI milestones
Based on its website, PPI was established in 1963 as one of the leading agricultural chemical companies in the Philippines. In 1970, it was purchased by the Sugar Producers Cooperative Marketing Association, the country’s largest cooperative of sugar planters, and renamed PPI.
Its primary focus is the manufacturing, production, trading, and marketing of agrochemical products. PPI has twelve brands of crop protection chemicals consisting of insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and molluscicides.
PPI’s agricultural products are sold throughout the Philippines through a mega network of more than 1000 distributors, dealers, outlets, and special accounts nationwide.
Contribution to food production
In 1972, the government launched a massive food production program, which included Masagana 99, enabling the Philippines to achieve self-sufficiency in rice for the first time.
For ten years, PPI said it supplied 70 percent of the fertilizer requirement of the whole country. During that period, the company owned and operated a fertilizer plant with a production capacity of 220,000 MT and sold an annual average of 490,340 MT of various fertilizer grades including NP/NPK, urea, ammonium sulfate and muriate of potash.
Planters Products, Inc. also plays a leading role in the transfer of modern agricultural technology to farmers. The Company introduced Filipino farmers to the efficient and economical use of fertilizers. Its modern, fully equipped soil laboratories conduct free analysis on samples provided by farmers and plantation managers. Based on the results, laboratory personnel can make their recommendations regarding the proper kind and volume of fertilizer that should be applied.
In March 5, 2007, PPI and Grand Asia Capital Corporation (GACC) entered a joint-venture agreement for the development of PPI’s properties in Limay, Bataan. The 60/40 venture in favor of GACC has enabled the growth and operation of these properties into a multi-use industrial park.
On April 23, 2007, the new site of PPI’s Formulating Plant was established. Since then, PPI’s Formulating Plant has been located at Carmelray Industrial Park in Calamba, Laguna.
PPI also entered a joint-venture with CDC Holdings on July 16, 2007 to develop its Santa Ana property into clusters of mid-rise residential condominiums called “Manila Rivercity.”
