Farmers in Canlaon City in Negros Oriental are calling for help from government so they can stay afloat despite losses they have incurred since the onset of the fuel crisis.

They are asking help from the local government and the Department of Agriculture.

Some of farmers have reportedly decided to let their vegetables rot because harvesting them would mean more expenses and losses.

This is because, in the case of Ranel Cabasag, their distributors now buy a bundle of his pechay for only P400, way lower than the P2,000 to P4,000 per bundle in the past.

And when they harvest their produce, they would have to pay those who will help harvest and pay for the vegetables' transport to the market.

“Wala to nako gitiwas og harvest kay ang last nakong harvest, wala man mahalin. Mas maayo pa nuon malata ning baol kaysa harvest-on namo unya maka-alakanse man nuon mi kay suhulan pa man unya pletehan pa sa motor," he said.

Another farmer, Denard Agapor, echoes this, saying no one will buy his produce if he would not bring the prices down.

He said that despite their pechay being of export quality, their distributor has stopped exporting the vegetables because of the fuel crisis.

“Na-limit sila og kumpra kay dili sila ka-deliver, ka-export kay tungod sa sitwasyon karon sa Iran,” Agapor said.

He said bundles of their pechay have rotten at the ‘bagsakan’ in Canlaon City.

Marketgoers, if there are those who buy the pechay, will buy them at P15 per kilo.

In the end, what the farmers earn is barely enough to buy seeds, fertilizer, and pesticide.