WITH fertiliser prices on the increase recently, oil palm smallholder Paul Wong bought a cheap brand of fertiliser to save costs, only to find out that it was fake after testing it.

“My partner who got the lab test done told me I had bought a truckload of rubbish and wasted RM20,000,” Wong said, adding that there was no way to check the authenticity of the product at the time of purchase.

Russia’s continuing war in Ukraine has caused shortages and skyrocketing prices of chemical fertilisers, and farmers in Malaysia are not immune from the consequences, as black market peddlers of fake fertiliser try to take advantage of the situation.

Farmers have been urging the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries to help by setting up testing centres at regional agricultural offices so that it is easier for farmers nationwide to get samples tested.

Malaysia Federation of Vegetable Farmers Association president Lim Ser Kwee said many farmers – an estimated 20% – have been deceived, while lodging police reports is no help whatsoever.

Once purchased, the farmer is stuck with the fake fertiliser.

The ministry can’t act against those selling fake fertilisers because there is currently no such law, but can set up testing centres for farmers.

In Johor, Lim said vegetable farmers send samples of fertiliser they have bought to private laboratories in Johor Baru at their own expense. It takes about a month to get the results.

“We hope that the ministry can set up testing centres, so that farmers can take samples for testing at any time, and at the same time, the ministry should come up with laws to prevent this.”

Lim called it an old problem; he himself had unknowingly bought fake fertiliser more than 10 years ago and only found out after testing it.

Lim said some fake fertilisers could even harm crops.

Farmers keep each other informed

He said farmers now exchange information on fake brands among themselves. The product is usually sold by random sellers under unfamiliar names.

Lim advised farmers to stick to wholesalers they know, marketing reputable brand names.

Malaysia Fruit Farmers Association deputy president Alvin Lo said his members have also been sharing information on fake products.

“Even older farmers know how to use their mobile phones to research and share information with one another and on social media.”

Lo said, since genuine fertilisers are more costly, fruit farmers have been extending fertilisation time in their orchards through natural means but this poses problems for scheduled harvest dates to meet consumer demand.

“Importers will move to import fruit and vegetables first.

“As farm inputs for local produce become more expensive, the cost is passed on to consumers.”

Lo added that the minimum wage hike to RM1,500 effective May 1 also came at a bad time.

“It increases fertiliser prices and with overall 20-30% increase in all costs, farmers can hardly make any money.

Skyrocketing prices and limited supply

Lim of the national vegetable farmers’ federation said a sack of imported fertiliser is currently around RM250.

“Generally, a vegetable garden needs about 50 sacks a month, but the price of fertiliser has been increasing by 10% or at least RM25 every month.

“In the past year, fertiliser prices have risen 50%, and some high-quality ones have risen by as much as 100%.

“Coupled with the Russia-Ukraine war and subsequent insufficient supply, some wholesalers are even limiting volume. Where before you would by 20 sacks, now you can only buy half.

“I am worried about the lack of supply,” Lim said.

For oil palm smallholder Wong, he spends RM150 on one sack of fertilisers for his trees.

He also grows durian trees and uses imported fertiliser, which currently costs RM300 for each 50kg sack.

“There’s also a shortage in supply of this fertiliser,” he said.

Russia is a major exporter of the chemical components needed to make fertiliser. It has also stopped exports of its fertiliser, and other countries are unable to fill the production gap.

As such, economists and food supply analysts have warned of higher food prices and supply issues in the months ahead. – May 20, 2022.