LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Local farmers expressed optimism that a government plan to purchase excess produce will provide much-needed relief as the high cost of fuel continues to threaten their livelihoods, the Philippine Information Agency-Cordillera reported.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. previously announced that the Department of Agriculture, in partnership with local government units, will buy surplus harvests to prevent waste and mitigate financial losses for agricultural workers.
“I am thankful if the President fulfills his word because the farmers are truly suffering,” farmer Arisa Dulinen told the PIA in Filipino.
While farmers welcomed the intervention, some urged the government to pick up produce directly from the farms to offset the “crippling” cost of transportation.
“If they could buy the vegetables directly from the provinces, it would help,” said farmer Hazel Basquial. “Even if we bring the vegetables to the market, if the buying price is low, everything just goes to fuel costs. There is no profit left to cover our expenses.”
Jaren Butag, another local farmer, noted that many in the industry have faced bankruptcy during the current crisis. He said some farmers have even opted to leave crops unharvested because the cost of gasoline exceeds the potential return on investment.
The Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) has ramped up marketing assistance in response to these challenges.
DA-CAR Regional Director Jennilyn Dawayan said the agency is coordinating with LGUs and farmers’ cooperatives that have been equipped with government-provided trucks. These vehicles, along with three trucks owned by the DA-CAR, are being used to transport produce to various markets.
Dawayan added that the agency is actively linking farmers with institutional buyers to ensure a guaranteed market before the crops leave the farm.
“We have coordinated with municipal agriculture offices to identify produce at risk of being wasted,” Dawayan said. “We look for partners who can buy in bulk because we don’t want farmers to transport their goods here without a certain buyer.”
The DA-CAR is also calling on private companies in need of steady vegetable supplies to coordinate with their office to establish direct links with Benguet farmers. NLMonitor with a report from PIA-CAR