Eggplant production in Villasis, Pangasinan has declined at the start of 2026 as more farmers shift to planting corn, citing high production costs and pest problems, according to the municipal agriculture office.

Villasis, known as the vegetable bowl of Pangasinan, saw a sharp decrease in the size of areas planted with eggplant compared to previous years.

“Previous years nasa 300 hectares effective area. Ngayon nasa more or less nasa 80 to 100 hectares. Pero nag-shift sila sa ibang crops muna, because sa mga factors like sa pest management, tapos high cost of production,” said Municipal agriculturist Dionisio Cariño, Jr.

Despite the lower production, local officials said the supply of eggplant will not be affected during the upcoming Talong Festival, which will be held on Friday, January 16, 2026. The event will feature crowd favorites such as pakbet sa kawa and the talong cookfest.

Romeo Sales, a farmer, said he reduced his eggplant planting area from three hectares to just two due to rising costs and soil conditions.

“Hayaang lang mag-spray ka lang ng pamatay damo, hayaan mo lang patubig, pataba lang puwede na. Sa talong, araw-araw kang nandito. Inoobserbahan mo iyong bunga, iyong dahon. Sa dami ng peste niyan, iba iyong peste ng dahon, iba iyong peste ng bunga, iba iyong peste ng bulaklak, kaya araw-araw nagtatrabaho,” Sales said.

As of this writing, the prices of eggplant range from P80 to P120 per kilo in the market, depending on size.

Cariño said that while the total volume of production has dropped due to reduced planting areas, productivity per hectare remains steady.

“Iyong yield per area, the same pa naman. Pero iyong in terms of volume, pag-base natin sa area planted, medyo bumaba. Pero iyong productivity per hectare, same pa rin naman. Nag-average tayo ng 20 to 25 metric tons per hectare, marami pa rin,” he said.