Supply, prices of Benguet vegetables remain steady

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Supply and prices of highland vegetables from this province to Metro Manila and nearby areas have remained steady, the provincial agriculturist told the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday.

Lolita Bentres, head of Benguet’s agriculture office, said there was an abundant supply of temperate vegetables produced in the province.

She also denied reports that prices of vegetables produced in some municipalities had spiked due to the cold temperature being experienced in the highlands.

Atok town was reported to have a temperature of 7.8 degrees Celsius on Monday, resulting in and some media organizations reporting a “frost phenomenon” affecting vegetables.

But in the report of Cherry Sano, munici-

pal agriculturist of Atok to the provincial government, she stated that “though the temperature went low, there was no frost occurrence due to rain showers and windy situation.”

Sano’s report further stated vegetables like cabbage, carrot, potato, radish and Chinese cabbage are currently being produced in an approximately 80-hectare area, part of which is not located in high elevation, where frosting happens. Atok also produces palay, corn, legumes and other root crops.

Government data sourced from the Benguet Provincial Agriculture Office said Atok town produced over one million metric tons of vegetables in 2016. It covers an area of more than 51,000 hectares of agricultural land.

In a related development, Janice Binay-an, market supervisor of the decades-old La Trinidad Trading Post in this capital town, said wholesale prices of Benguet vegetables sourced in their area were in normal level.

The trading post official explained, however, that prices of these vegetables vary from time-totime depending on the supply and demand.

Norma Maliones, a local farmer and trader, said the prices of vegetables were not affected by the temperature.

In the local dialect, she said, “We don’t feel the effect, especially on the supply and prices of (Benguet) vegetable. It’s natural we experience this kind of weather during the year”. PNA