Mark Beckford, Staff Reporter
JOHNSON
The Opposition has made a formal request to the Consumer Affairs Commission and the Fair Trading Commission, to investigate the series of increases in the price of fertiliser over the last year.
The issue was raised last week when Minister of Agriculture and Land Roger Clarke, said he would be looking for other sources for fertilisers for farmers, due to the incremental increases by the country's sole supplier over the last 12 months.
Various fertiliser products have seen increases in their prices. The popular vegetable fertiliser '11.22.22' has seen the price of a metric tonne (about 2,200 pounds) moving from $22,833 in October 2006 to $38,920 this year.
The price of another popular fertiliser, sulphate of ammonia, has increased from $14,086 in October last year to $24,325 this year.
Now, farmers will be paying an estimated $2,000 per bag (112 pounds) for fertiliser. This increase will be the third since this year.
Clarke said price increases are threatening the future of the agricultural sector.
Opposition Spokesman on Agriculture, Senator Anthony Johnson, said the reduction in the prices of many agricultural products and the rise in fertiliser prices have left many farmers in a "state of great disquiet".
Senator Johnson also says, the existing monopoly in the local market since the closure of the AntillesChemical Company has permitted the current state of affairs.
Impact on local produce
John Allen, managing director of Newport Fersan, the only company which distributes fertilisers in Jamaica, admitted that the cost of the product has risen in recent months, but denounced claims that his company was abusing its monopoly status.
According to Allen, there have been increases of up to 25 per cent, and in some cases, more than 100 per cent, in different raw materials used in the production of fertilisers.
One farmer, Derrick Harvey, told The Gleaner that the price increase of fertiliser would definitely impact the cost of local produce that is already competing against imported goods.
The cash crop farmer of Guy's Hill, St. Catherine, said he uses about two bags of fertilisers every three months on his two-acre farm.
