Bell pepper farmers in San Vicente, Ilocos Sur are allowing their produce to rot after the farmgate price of bell pepper plummeted.

Other farmers chose to sell their harvest for a mere P10 to P20 per kilo, compared to the usual P100 per kilo in local markets.

In San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur, the farmgate price of bell pepper has plummeted to P50 per kilo, significantly lower than its previous range of P180 to P250 per kilo.

Joel Revibes, a bell pepper farmer, said that he might not be able to continue cultivating bell pepper if the prices keep dropping because of the high cost of sprays and rent for the land.

“Kapag bagsak-presyo na, pinapabayaan na namin," he said.

Authorities said there are a few bell pepper farmers in the region so there is no overproduction.

The price drop is also related to the collective decision of traders to drop prices.

"Konti yung farmer grower natin tungkol sa bell pepper pero yung mga traders natin sabay-sabay para pabagsakin yung presyo,” Teresuti Batin, the Ilocos Sur Organic Trainor and High Value Crops Coordinator, said.

In response, a plan of eliminating the middleman to help better the prices for farmers has been devised by the Provincial Agriculture Office together with the Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing and Agribusiness Department.

"Yung mga consolidator na dito sa Ilocos Sur siya na ang magde-deliver doon, [para yung presyo] tataas kasi wala na yung middleman,” Batin added.