Vegetable farmers in Benguet are dumping unsold produce as prices plunge due to oversupply and weak demand, leaving many in debt and struggling to recover losses.

In La Trinidad, farmers were seen destroying their last harvest of cabbage instead of selling it, choosing to use it as fertilizer for the next planting season.

Many said the volume of vegetables delivered to the trading post remains high, but buyers have slowed down, forcing prices to drop sharply. Some farmers sold at a loss, while others gave away their produce for free.

“Talagang nakakadurog ng puso kasi lahat mung isipin mo sayang pero wala tayong magawa, ganoon talaga,” Fernan Galino, a farmer, said.

Another farmer, Jessie James Macario from Buguias, sold cabbage at P8 per kilo but still incurred losses.

“Maghihirap ka rin maglinis sa garden eh di mas maganda na, para at least mabili, makain ng mga tao kahit mabili ng mura ganyan,” Macario said.

Farmer Agrex Sanio said he earned around P18,000 from his pechay harvest but said it was not enough to cover rising costs.

“Talagang ganyan ho ang buhay buha magsasaka kung minsan panalo ngayon talo. Tyaga tyaga muna,” he said.

Mario Miguel, vice president of the La Trinidad Bagsakan Association, said demand has dropped partly due to high fuel costs affecting buyers.

“Meron kumpleto silang dating namimili, nadyan pa rin pero yung trak nila… yung sampung tonelada ginawa nilang limang tonelada… ang bibilhin,” he said.

Trucking expenses have also increased, with one hauler saying diesel costs for a round trip to Metro Manila rose from P16,000 to about P35,000.

The Department of Agriculture said it has met with stakeholders to address the issue. Agriculture Assistant Secretary Daniel Atayde said improving storage facilities could help manage oversupply.

“Number one is storage para kasi nangyayari nagkakasabay ng harvest nagkakabuhol diba. So that’s very prang yung timing ng (inaudible) ng mga distribution ng ating gulay so that’s why I came here to look for storage facility to rehabilitate the storage facility para at least yung sobra hindi mabebenta itago muna and slowly natin idi-distribute to Metro Manila,” Atayde said.

Farmers said they hope for government support as they prepare for the next planting season.