The last reduction occurred in June last year when Newport-Fersan Jamaica Limited announced a 4.5 per cent reduction in the cost of fertiliser.
The reduction was announced by Agriculture Minister Pearnel Charles Jr., during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.
He said the price reduction is the result of collaboration between local producers of fertiliser and the government.
In that regard, he had high praise for the fertiliser manufacturers, who, according to him, "were holding down prices and getting them down," when prices were generally going up.
In response to news of the price reduction, President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society Lenworth Fulton said that while he welcomed the minister's announcement of a price cut, he needed clarification regarding the types of granular fertilizer to be discounted.
"I don't know if it's all granular, and if it is all granular that would be bonanza for farmers, because it is one of the most expensive inputs going into our production..."
But he expressed strong doubt that it is feasible to reduce the price of fertiliser so significantly in one step, "unless it was artificially jacked up; unless it was significantly over priced before."
