Social media postings on Benguet veggies downs prices

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet --- Social media postings have downed prices of vegetables produced in this province wherein 75 percent of veggie needs of the country come from.   

Following this, the chief operations officer of the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC)urged netizens to be discerning  on what they post in  the social media  about vegetable  concerns  as this  is being used  as gauge in dictating prices . 

 “We have to be careful on what we are posting (on vegetable situation) as it affects the whole vegetable industry,” Violeta Salda said. 

It is not the  deadly coronavirus disease(COVID-19) that  caused the slump in the prices of highland vegetables but the social media post of vegetables being thrown  or dumped  that went  viral, she claimed.

To a great extent, it has a negative impact on the province’s economy and other neighbouring vegetable producing areas which redound to the unreciprocated effortsof farmers.

Salda shared the plight of farmers who were affected early on by a post circulating in social media of loads of carrots being dumped, which would have been given to people during this Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) where movement is restricted as people are advised to stay at home to prevent the spread of COVID. 

Reaching Manila after a long and tedious 18-hour travel due to protocols along checkpoints at Marcos Highway and along NLEX during the initial implementation of the ECQ, buyers just bargained the truckloads of vegetables, Salda said.

”Basura lang naman ang mga gulay sa Benguet,” (Vegetables in Benguet are just garbage), buyers would say.Carrots prices went down to as low as P5.00 to P1.00.

Salda said farmers give in to the bargain as dictated by the “artificial situation” rather than bring back home the same load. 

She disclosed that there are also some buyers calling directly at the BAPTC negotiating and making bargains as they consider highland vegetables as thrash.

“We have already suffered and it doesn’t mean our vegetables are just garbage,” Salda said.   

We have to help our farmers including traders and those selling and the whole vegetable industry, she added.

Salda said even if travel of truckloads of vegetables are already allowed to pass through through checkpoints through the help of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Interior and Local Government, low buying price is still being experienced.

                “It should be a win-win solution. They buy at reasonable price for a good price for consumers and for farmers who produce for a well-deserved price.  We have to consider mark up price for production cost, transportation cost and other expenses,” she said. (JDP/SCA-PIA CAR, Benguet)