FPA ready to help Lactobiotics Worldwide secure label expansion

CEBU CITY, Philippines -The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) has expressed its commitment to work closely with Lactobiotics Worldwide Corporation to make sure that they comply with their regulatory requirements.

In statement released on Tuesday, August 20, FPA said that they do not wish to hamper the company’s operations nor affect the productivity of the farmers using their fertilizers.

“The FPA remains committed to supporting our farmers and ensuring that all agricultural products meet the highest standards of safety and effectiveness,” read part of the agency’s statement.

In addition, FPA also clarified that the first advisory that they issued on August 16 was not meant to discourage the use of Lactoplant Biofertilizer.  Instead, they wanted to address the issue on the proliferation of a tampered certification claiming that Lactobiotics has been certified for use in rice production.

“This advisory serves as a warning against any misuse of such documents and aims to provide equitable protection to our agency, the brand, and the company involved from any acts or future acts that may be prejudicial and detrimental,” FPA said.

“The FPA’s original certification requires Lactobiotics Worldwide Corporation to conduct the necessary FPA Bioefficacy trials and submit all required documents for the label expansion registration of their product for rice and other crops. Until these requirements are met, the label expansion cannot be granted,” it added.

Tampering

Moreover, FPA has expressed its appreciation for the cooperation of Lactobiotics Worldwide Corporation after the company publicly denied any involvement in the alleged tampering of their certification and has condemned the act of falsifying such document.

“We will continue to work closely with Lactobiotics Worldwide Corporation to resolve this matter and ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements,” FPA said.

Earlier, Lactobiotics Worldwide Corporation’s President and CEO Engr. Grecilda Sanchez expressed her concern on the FPA advisory and its possible effects on the country’s food security.

Sanchez said that their product is currently used in 164,000 hectares of rice farmlands across the country.  Farmers using Lactoplant Biofertilizer are able to produce 20,532,701 bags of rice.