Farmers seek gov't help as over a ton of unsold cabbage goes to waste

Farmers in Buguias, Benguet on Monday threw away over a ton of Pechay Baguio due to weak sales amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In Jonathan Andal's Friday report on 24 Oras, Farmer Elpren Mariano said the produce had remained unsold at a Trading post in La Trinidad.

Though some of the vegetables were already given away, Mariano said they had no choice but to dump the rest due to the large quantity and the because the vegetables were beginning to go bad.

"Apektuhan ang operasyon ng gulay dahil konti ang buyer dahil sa banta ng COVID-19 kaya hindi mabenta lahat ng mga gulay na dinadala ng magsasaka. Kaya ngayon ganito ang kinalabasan, nasira, basura na," Mariano said.

Of the 2,000 kilos of Pechay Baguio the farmers tried to sell in La Trinidad, only 600 kilos were sold at P3 per kilo.

The farmers thus appealed to the national government to buy their vegetables.

"'Yung mga kinauukulan, sa mga nag-bibigay ng relief goods, hinihingi namin ang tulong niyo. 'Yung mga gulay na lang namin ang bilhin niyo. Para masustansya pa atsaka nakatulong pa kayo sa amin," he said.

Trucks selling vegetables had filled an area in La Trinidad.

According to the report, most of the trucks parked had not sold anything due to poor demand, and also because the processing inside the trading post had slowed due to the social distancing requirements. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News