Piles of discarded carrots in Benguet have drawn attention to the challenges facing vegetable farmers as weak demand, long transport times and spoilage make it harder to sell their produce.

A video posted by a netizen showed large amounts of carrots dumped in an area of Barangay Babalac in Kabayan, Benguet.

Farmers said sales of carrots have been slow, making it difficult to sell their produce. The carrots in the video were reportedly not sold at the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) in La Trinidad.

The long journey from farms to trading centers can also cause carrots to spoil quickly. It was not immediately clear whether the carrots shown in the video had already spoiled or were close to becoming unfit for sale.

The BAPTC said carrots are highly perishable when exposed to water and stored for long periods, conditions traders try to avoid.

The trading center has a facility where unsold vegetables can be stored.

The Department of Agriculture is also coordinating with the farmer featured in the video to explore possible assistance.

The agency has set up help desks at two trading areas in La Trinidad to assist farmers and traders.

Meanwhile, a farmer from Bakun, Benguet brought 23 sacks, or about 2,000 kilograms, of carrots to the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post.

Even after the wholesale price fell to 3 pesos per kilogram, no buyer took his produce.

Instead of throwing the carrots away, the farmer coordinated with the local government and distributed the harvest to the public.

Farmers said weak demand is not their only concern. They also pointed to the volume of imported vegetables despite what they said was enough local supply.

“Baka puwedeng bawas-bawasan kasi sumusobra na ’yung suplay ng gulay natin. ’Yun ang talagang problema namin,” Mardel Balsina, a farmer, said.

As of posting, GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon continues to seek comment from the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera.