Benguet May Lose Fame As Country's Vegetable Salad Capital'

Each year, provincial agricultural statisticians of the Department of Agriculture gather information on
the revenues and costs of growing more than 30 farm products all over the Philippines.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) then compiles all the information gathered in a database called
Country STAT, a project that is part of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate
Statistical Database (FAOSTAT).
The PSA calculates the average income and costs per hectare of growing the products, which ranges
from fruits, vegetables, root crops to fish, poultry and livestock. All in all, the PSA estimates averages for
at least a dozen cost items, including cash and non-cash costs.
There are various ways that readers can make use of the information from the PSA. For those who
already know what product they want to grow, there is valuable data on the revenue and cost structure
across the various regions.
For those still looking for a plant or animal to grow, we list in the accompanying info graphic a ranking of
the various farm commodities based on their average net returns per hectare. The figure is the result
when total costs are deducted from gross revenues, and is the national average of at least 14 years from
2002 to 2015.
Benguet May Lose Fame as Country's

‘Vegetable Salad Capital’
If President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s agriculture and trade
officials keep on importing vegetables and fruits, the province of
Benguet will lose its fame as the Philippines’ “vegetable salad
capital,” provincial authorities and farmers say.
By ACE ALEGRE
Bulatlat.com
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- If President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s

agriculture and trade officials keep on importing vegetables and fruits, the province of Benguet will lose its
fame as the Philippines’ “vegetable salad capital.”
When authorities last month allowed the importation of carrots from Australia, Benguet’s vegetable farmers
particularly those from La Trinidad thought they have had enough. The importation, they said, has caused the
price of carrots to plunge and themselves going out of business.
As Australian carrots started coming in last month, the price of the local vegetable at the trading post here went
down from P28 a kilo to a low P6 alarming thousands of families from La Trinidad and other vegetable-
growing towns of northern Benguet.
Aside from carrots, this town valley which is located some 210 kms north of Manila is known for its fresh
cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, strawberries and other vegetables and fruits.
In a meeting with Benguet Gov. Raul Molintas, Elizabeth Verzola, director of the Cordillera Agriculture
Department, confirmed that the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) Quarantine Office in Manila has allowed the
entry of small volumes of carrots from Australia.
Benguet, the country's top producer of temperate vegetables, produces at least 80 tons of vegetable products
worth P1.2 million daily. These are brought to the La Trinidad Trading Post before being shipped to Manila
and other provinces. Ten percent of this volume is carrots, Molintas said.
"We do not know how long this importation will last and if this will be continuous or for a limited time,"
Molintas said.
Globalization
The governor blamed globalization which, he said, has caused many agricultural products to become
perishable and, hence, volatile trading items. The country’s membership in the World Trade Organization
(WTO) some years ago has opened the local market to the dumping of cheap farm products –- often sold at
large supermarkets and malls -- to the detriment of the country’s own farm producers.
Verzola said that the vegetable consignees are Rustan's Supermart at the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon
City and Tuckerbag Inc., which gives its address in Legazpi Village, Makati City.
The director said that at least 3,487 kilos of carrots were imported by both consignees last July.
Other reports showed however that Rustan’s has begun importing vegetables in recent years. The supermarket
chain deals directly to consumers while Tuckerbag caters to hotels and restaurants, Verzola added.
Molintas said that the price plunge is too drastic adding that the move of the BPI to allow the entry of small
volumes of carrots is a cause for concern. He said he is awaiting petitions from farmers to be filed contesting
the entry of Australian carrots.
But it looks like it is not the country’s vegetable growers alone who are up against the farm imports. Even
Australia’s fruit producers have also protested against the importation of Philippine bananas, pineapples and
mangoes. Bulatlat.com
Strengths and weaknesses

The GFSI identified the strengths and weaknesses of the Philippines when it comes to food security.
Among the strengths identified were:
 Nutritional standards
 Volatility of agricultural production
 Decreased food loss
 Agricultural import tariffs
 Urban absorption capacity
 Food safety
These indicators were scored more than 75 points in the assessment and should be continuously maintained to
further achieve better food security in the country.
Meanwhile, the weaknesses included:
 Public expenditure on research and development

 Corruption
 Gross domestic product per capita
 Protein quality
These factors scored lower than 25 points. If not properly addressed, these may lead to more problems in the future.

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Each year, provincial agricultural statisticians of the Department of Agriculture gather information on

Benguet May Lose Fame as Country's

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- If President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s

Strengths and weaknesses

 Public expenditure on research and development

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