BAGUIO CITY – Recognizing the Cordillera region as the undisputed producer of highland vegetables in the country, the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR) continues to tackle some of the perennial issues experienced by farmers.
In a meeting held at the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) on January 8, various stakeholders from DA-CAR and local government units (LGUs) convened to discuss the current issues on low-priced vegetables, alleged oversupply, and dumping. The stakeholders also came up with short-term and long-term solutions.
According to the data provided by the LGUs, there was a 6.18 percent decline in cabbage production, while Chinese cabbage saw a slight increase of 1.10 percent compared to 2022 and 2023.
Looking ahead, January 2024 is anticipated to witness a substantial 30 percent reduction in cabbage output. However, this is expected to rebound positively, reaching a 4.62 percent increase from February onwards. In contrast, Chinese cabbage is projected to experience a significant surge, with a 57 percent increase anticipated in January.
Data from DA-CAR and the LGUs of Mountain Province and Benguet show that, at that time, there was no oversupply of cabbage, Chinese cabbage, snap beans, and potatoes.
The giving away and selling of vegetables at significantly lower cost, which started on Dec. 28, 2023, until the first 3 days of January, was caused by lack of buyers, which led to abnormal trading activities. The unsold vegetables that were brought to the trading posts on January 1 to 3 due to the lesser number of buyers eventually deteriorated in quality, and this was the reason they were being either given free or sold at a lower price. As of this writing, however, the long queue at the trading posts has stopped, and the prices of commodities are starting to improve.
Fortunately, prices and trading activities are gradually returning to normal. The 2024 projection anticipates a decrease in production, which may lead to increased buying prices around March or April. This is attributed to the culmination of peak harvest between December 2023 and early January 2024, with potential influences from El Niño on decreased production.
To continue the agency’s efforts, immediate solutions identified include implementing KADIWA in non-highland vegetable-producing municipalities, and coordinating with LGUs for prompt assistance and private institutions for possible partnerships.
For long-term strategies, recommendations include enhancing clustering and consolidation initiatives, proposing LGUs enact ordinances related to vegetable dumping, potentially collaborating with farmers for marketing assistance, and considering trading post establishments in Mountain Province and Region 3.
Other long-term strategies are allocating funds from BAPTC’s reserved funds for surplus vegetable trading, providing complete machines and equipment for post-harvest processing, encouraging LGUs to initiate zoning of crop production, and creating an immediate response team led by DA to address agriculture-related issues and concerns. By JBPeralta and LDMendoza
