A Philippine farmers’ group called for emergency production aid after agricultural losses from the southwest monsoon and recent weather disturbances topped P1 billion, with vegetable growers also hit by plunging prices and a lack of buyers.
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) on Aug. 17 urged the Department of Agriculture and local governments to provide production subsidies and recovery assistance to affected farmers.
Agricultural damage had surpassed P1 billion as of Aug. 17, including P589 million in rice and P313 million in vegetables, according to Department of Agriculture figures cited by KMP. An earlier estimate placed total losses at P689 million.
KMP said vegetable growers who managed to salvage their harvests were also struggling with low buying prices and a lack of buyers.
Danilo Ramos, chairperson of the group said vegetable farmers “are losing both their crops and their income,” adding, “Those who manage to harvest cannot even sell their produce at decent prices. Yet the DA has no immediate production support for them.”
Long queues were reported last week at the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post in Benguet as prices fell amid continued rains, according to the group.
First-class cabbage was selling for P20 to P35 per kilogram, while second-class cabbage fetched P8 to P10. Traders said second-class cabbage had remained largely unsold for three days.
Carrots were selling for P30 to P43 per kilogram, broccoli for P80, potatoes for P75 and Baguio pechay for P20 to P33. Lower-grade produce was fetching only P7 to P10 per kilogram.
Vegetable deliveries to the La Trinidad trading post fell by 1,800 metric tons from Aug. 1 to 10, which KMP said reflected disruptions to production and transport.
Over the weekend, farmers dumped Chinese cabbage and carrots along the Labey-Lacamen Road in Tublay, Benguet, because of low prices and a lack of buyers, the group said.
APIT-TAKO, KMP’s regional chapter in the Cordillera, reported that Benguet and Mountain Province were among the hardest-hit areas.
About P300,000 worth of vegetable crops were damaged in Buguias. In Mankayan, 60 hectares were affected, with estimated losses of P2 million to P3 million in lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, sayote and chili.
Damage to sweet peas and rice was also reported in Bauko and other areas, while millions of pesos worth of vegetables were damaged across Central Luzon, KMP said.
The southwest monsoon, locally known as Habagat, also affected agricultural communities in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and La Union, particularly in coastal areas.
In Batangas, thousands of farmworkers and fisherfolk were affected, with damage reported in sugarcane, vegetable and rice farms. Rice-producing areas in Mindoro and Quezon were also affected, according to KMP chapters in the Ilocos and Southern Luzon regions.
Ramos said damage assessments and relief goods were not enough because farmers had lost crops, income and production capital. He called for immediate production subsidies, free seeds and farm inputs, crop insurance and assistance to rehabilitate damaged farms.
KMP also urged the government to conduct transparent, farmer-led damage assessments and immediately release assistance to affected vegetable growers.
“The government cannot simply count the losses and leave farmers to recover on their own. Vegetable farmers need immediate support to recover their production and livelihood,” the group said.
