TUGUEGARAO CITY — The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) in Cagayan Valley has received numerous complaints from farmers about fake, unregistered and mislabeled pesticides and fertilizers.

FPA regional manager Leonardo Bangad, in a statement, said the FPA is moving to pursue the people behind the counterfeit agriculture products as well as traders selling products with expired certificates of product registration.

"It is a great help in catching the accused in complaints received from farmers such as selling them with strange colors, different packaging, and ineffective fertilizers and pesticides, reason for the FDA and law enforcement agencies to conduct surveillance and entrapment operations," Bangad said.

Bangad said the agency regularly monitors stores selling agricultural products in Cagayan Valley to ensure that only legitimate fertilizers and pesticides are sold in the region.

The FPA also visits the warehouses of the manufacturers to ensure the quality of their products.

Bangad also reminded the farmers to avoid buying from barangay agents, especially if they are not licensed distributors.

"And if the products are sold at a cheap price and if the label on their packaging is written in foreign characters, report them to the FPA or the municipal agriculturist," he said.

Anyone caught selling counterfeit pesticides and fertilizers may be charged for violation of the provisions of PD 1144 which is punishable by imprisonment and a fine of P5,000 to P50,000 depending on the severity of the violation.

This is in addition to the charges that may be filed for violating the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

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