An unusual surge in vegetable deliveries has left some Benguet farmers with unsold carrots, pechay, and cabbage that they were forced to discard the vegetables along the road as they struggle with long queues and weak demand, according to farmers and trading officials.

A cellphone video taken by Youscooper Grail Polig showed residents collecting vegetables discarded along a road in Tublay, Benguet. Some said they would use the vegetables to feed their animals.

Farmers said long queues at the trading center can stretch to two days. By the time they unload their produce, some vegetables have already lost quality and attract but a few buyers, leaving farmers with little choice but to throw them away.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has not issued a statement on the situation, as of this writing.

TRADING CENTER

At the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC), officials said vegetable prices at the trading area change depending on supply and demand. The center also recorded an unusually high number of farmer trucks delivering vegetables in recent days.

Octavia Ablos, officer-in-charge of the BAPTC Trading Operations Center, said the increase was unusual for this time of year.

“Hindi kasi na normal ito kasi usually 'yung volume ng gulay na ito is sa December siya nararanasan so nag-peak siya ngayong mga last four days. As of our monitoring naman this weekend is stable naman siya,” Ablos said.

The number of farmer trucks arriving at the center rose from an average of 100 a day to more than 100 in recent days.

Although truck arrivals declined over the weekend, road closures caused by landslides also affected deliveries. Paul Marufo, a farmer who traveled from Mankayan, said bad weather and a landslide delayed his trip for several hours.

Despite the difficulties, Marufo said farmers were still losing money, with second-class cabbage selling for only P5 per kilo.

“Na-stuck kami di rabii ta adda slide ditoy Sayangan. Nababa nga permi, dapat kuma adda at least 20 pangato ta at least adda mabati. Igatang mi ti abono,” he said.

PLANTING CYCLE

Meanwhile, some farmers in La Trinidad have begun preparing their fields for another planting cycle after floodwaters damaged much of the crops they planted earlier.

Ramil Valencia, another farmer, said they had to replace the crops damaged by flooding.

“Kasi nga baha, 'yung mga pananim nabaha kaya kailangan palitan ulit. Mayroon din mga nakuha kaso kaunti lang,” he said.

The La Trinidad local government said businesses should not take advantage of farmers who are already struggling with high fuel prices and the effects of persistent rain.

The Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region also urged farmers and fisherfolk affected by recent storms and the southwest monsoon to report their losses for validation.

The DA-CAR's initial assessment showed that 1,092 farmers and fisherfolk had been affected, with total agricultural damage estimated at P16.48 million across the Cordillera. Crops accounted for the largest share of the losses at P15.63 million.