AGGIE UPDATES

DA developing alternative vegetable plantation sites
MARVYN BENANING

The Department of Agriculture is developing planting sites in Central and Southern Luzon to ensure the steady supply of vegetables after weather forecasters predicted that 20 storms after typhoon "Cosme" will hit the country this year.

Typhoon Cosme actually damaged P86.6 million worth of rice, corn and high-value commercial crops in Benguet, Mountain Province, La Union, Pangasinan and Zambales, said the DA Central Action Center.

To obviate the possibility that there would be shortages of vegetables coming from Northern Luzon, which supplies 60 percent of the vegetables of the National Capital Region, the DA said it is necessary to develop alternative sites for intensive vegetable cultivation.

Increases in the prices of vegetables are expected due to the damage wrought by Cosme and difficulties in transporting these commodities as some roads were ruined, it added. Delays may last only for a day or two days at most, DA predicted.

The areas being developed as alternative sites for vegetable production are Regions 4-A and 4B (Southern Luzon) and Central Luzon, the DA said. On May 19, Herculano "Joji" Co, president of the Philippine Confederation of Grains Associations (Philcongrains) assured consumers that there are enough rice stocks in the market, with millers working nearly 24 hours a day to bring grain to the markets.

Co also offered to sell all their stocks to the National Food Authority before the rice crisis struck but government did not respond to Co’s gesture. Rafael Mariano, chairman of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, also offered to sell 25 percent of the rice crop of all their members to shore up NFA’s dwindling inventory but the food agency proceeded to buy from foreign traders using a budget of P60 billion.

Had NFA responded to Mariano’s offer, it would have cost government only P20 bilion, the group said. Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap reiterated that there are sufficient rice stocks for everyone and consumers need not fear any shortage in the lean months of July, August and September.

He added that the impact of Cosme in Pangasinan, a major rice producer, was minimal. Only 65 hectares of rice farms were damaged out of the total harvest area of 254,122 hectares for the dry season, he said. The summer harvest in Pangasinan was placed at 50,090 metric tons.

DA Undersecretary Jesus Emmanuel Paras, who heads DARAC, said that as of Monday afternoon May 19, damage to HVCCs was highest at P 83.10 million covering 181 hectares planted to fruit trees and vegetables, of which 176 hectares have no chance of recovery.

Damaged mango trees in Pangasinan were valued at P 60 million, followed by mangoes in La Union and Zambales at P14 million and P 500,000, respectively, Paras said. Vegetables in Benguet and Mt. Province valued at P 8.5 million and papaya in Zambales worth P 100,000 were also reported lost during the typhoon, he added.

Paras said that damage to palay crops was valued at P2.3 million in Pangasinan, where a total of 65 hectares was affected. Some 203 MT of palay from an area of 50 hectares in the reproductive stage were reported lost. About 15 hectares in the vegetative stage have chances of recovery but investment of farmers worth about P 95,500 was lost. Paras said the damage to corn crops was placed at P 687,500 from the 50 hectares planted to corn in its vegetative stage in Pangasinan.