Marcos inspects agri facilities in Isabela amid farmers' losses

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday inspected a multi-purpose drying pavement and onion cold storage facility in the Ramon town in Isabela, a project supposedly aimed at strengthening the agricultural sector and improving post-harvest efficiency in the region.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the facilities, including the Ambatali warehouse with multi-purpose drying pavement and the Ramon onion cold storage facility in Barangay Ambatali, are expected to benefit around 1,500 farmers from Isabela and neighboring Nueva Vizcaya.

Marcos interacted with farmers during the visit and was joined by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and provincial and local officials.

The inspections come amid reports of vegetable growers in Nueva Vizcaya who have been forced to discard fresh produce due to falling farmgate prices and a lack of buyers.

In February, some farmers in the province dumped tomatoes they could not sell as oversupply drove prices down and traders declined to purchase the harvest, leaving growers with heavy losses.

Agricultural stakeholders have pointed to limited market access and fluctuating demand as persistent issues, particularly at trading hubs such as the Nueva Vizcaya Agricultural Terminal in Bambang, where oversupply can leave farmers unable to sell all their produce despite its quality.—MCG, GMA Integrated News