The Benguet provincial board has formally opposed the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) plan to import 6,000 metric tons of carrots, arguing the move threatens the livelihoods of local farmers already struggling with high production costs.
In a statement released Monday, Board Member Johannes Amuasen called on national leaders to reconsider the policy, emphasizing that importation should not be the “default solution” to market instability.
“Protecting local agriculture is protecting national food security,” Amuasen said. “We respectfully ask our national leaders and concerned agencies to hear us and listen to the voices of the farmers on the ground before implementing policies that directly affect their livelihood.”
The opposition comes after the DA’s announcement last week that it would allow strategic carrot imports through July to address a perceived supply gap and stabilize retail prices, which have spiked to as high as P190 per kilogram in Metro Manila.
The Benguet Committee on Agriculture, chaired by Board Member Neptali Camsol, has forwarded a resolution to national agencies urging an immediate suspension of the plan.
Local officials argue that while retail prices remain high, farmgate prices for Benguet growers stay low, suggesting the supply crisis may be an issue of distribution and middleman costs rather than a lack of domestic produce.
Benguet is the country’s leading producer of highland vegetables, providing over 80% of the national carrot supply.
Board members expressed concern that an influx of foreign vegetables would further destabilize a sector still recovering from recent economic and agricultural crises.
“Strong local agriculture means stronger communities, protected livelihood, and genuine food security for our people,” Amuasen said, noting the “united support” of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in standing with the province’s “kakailyan” (townmates) farmers. Roderick Osis
