Farmers and vegetable traders in the Cordillera are feeling the impact of heavy rains and recent tropical cyclones, with damaged crops, higher transport costs, and limited supply cutting into their income.

The Department of Agriculture-Cordillera said agricultural losses in the region have reached P368 million.

At the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center, or BAPTC, traders said the weather has made it harder to bring vegetables to the market.

Some traders have reported losses due to limited supply, higher transport costs and spoiled produce.

“Medyo matumal ang bentahan namin ngayon kasi nang dahil sa ulan. Malulugi kami kasi malulusawan kami,” Alice, a vegetable vendor, said.

Vegetables can spoil quickly when exposed to rain and when transport takes longer than usual.

Some farmers and traders have also lowered their prices to recover at least part of their losses.

The BAPTC Trading Operations Division said vegetable deliveries to the trading center have slowly increased.

Octavia Ablos, officer-in-charge of the BAPTC Trading Operations Division, said farmers are also harvesting crops earlier to avoid problems during the tropical cyclones.

“Ang ginagawa ng mga farmers, nagha-harvest na sila sa mga pananim nila na puwedeng ma-harvest para makaiwas sa pagbiyahe during the typhoon,” Ablos said.

The same situation is affecting lowland vegetable producers, according to the agriculture industry group SINAG.

SINAG chairperson Engr. Rosendo So said some farmers have brought immature crops to markets because they harvested ahead of the expected bad weather.

“Ang problema natin, in two weeks’ time, ‘yung maha-harvest ng one or two weeks ay in-advance harvest nila kaya maraming hindi pa matured na pumupunta sa merkado,” So said.

Authorities and industry groups are monitoring vegetable supply as farmers prepare for possible further disruptions from the weather.