DA-Cordillera extends assistance to farmers, selling 29.4 metric tons of cabbages

Tabuk City, Kalinga - Having heard the desperate cries of vegetable farmers in the region due to low-priced vegetables and the lack of buyers, the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera extended its help in linking the vegetable growers to consumers in various provinces in Luzon.

As of Tuesday, January 9, 29.4 metric tons of cabbages were already sold at prices ranging from P10 to P15 per kilogram.

On January 5, 3.1 metric tons of vegetables were sold to various government agencies, while on January 6, 7.8 metric tons were disposed of in La Trinidad, Tuba, and Sablan.

Through its partnership with the Episcopal CARE (Community Action for Renewal and Empowerment) Foundation, 7.5 metric tons also reached Kalinga on January 9, 4 metric tons to Isabela, Nueva Ecija, and Manila, and 3 metric tons to the DA-Central Office.

There is also a plan to reach other places, like Bulacan and the Calabarzon Region, anytime this week.

In a press release, DA-Cordillera also shed light on the issues surrounding vegetable produce sold or given away from December 28, 2023, to January 3, saying it was caused by a lack of buyers.

“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 either given away for free or sold at a lower price,” DA-Cordillera wrote.

In connection, apart from the issue faced by the agency and vegetable producers, the issue of the alleged smuggling of carrots also resurfaced last month.

This was mentioned by the League of Associations operating within the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Area in an earlier official statement.

Based on the statement made, crates marked 'A.B.C. BAGUIO,' housing carrots and potatoes reportedly originating from Baguio and Benguet, found their way into prominent markets such as Tondo in Manila and Olongapo in Zambales.

The league then pleaded with the national government and concerned agencies to act immediately on the matter to save the vegetable industry.