Heavy rains in Pangasinan drowned rows of pechay (snow cabbage) crops, leaving farmers in Mangaldan scrambling to save what they could before everything goes to waste.
“Nalunod sa tubig talaga ang mga tanim namin kaya ang iba nalusaw na,” Noli Cerezo, a farmer from Barangay Lanas, said.
According to the Mangaldan Municipal Agriculture Office, pechay production in the town has already gone down since the start of the rainy days.
“Dahil sa pag-ulan at naghahanda na rin ang mga magsasaka sa pagtatanim ng palay, medyo nabawasan na. Kasi ‘yung ibang farmer, binawasan na ang production nila ng pechay,” Manuel Aquino, the rice coordinator, said.
With less pechay supply in the market, the farmgate price has doubled to P60 per kilo, while the retail price has increased to P70 to P75 per kilo.
“Mataas ang presyo ngayon kaya sana makabawi kami sa lugi,” Cerezo added.
