DA declares Enrile town as ‘peanut capital’

ENRILE, Cagayan –The Department of Agriculture (DA) has declared the town of Enrile in Cagayan as the “peanut capital of the Philippines” for its “noteworthy contribution” to the development of the local peanut industry.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala declared it so following the presentation of evidence of the significant contributions of the town to the peanut industry in the country. DA Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness Leandro Gazmin, who went to Enrile to represent Alcala during the peanut harvest ceremony, said the soil suitability of the town – sandy to sandy-loam – and its unique ability to produce peanut year-round are the “primary reasons why it will be known as an important source of peanut henceforth.”

Gazmin said the Secretary lauds them for their collective effort but that the DA chief requests that they “commit themselves to improve and develop even further not just the peanut industry but the entire agricultural sector as well.”

He said the Secretary is also happy to know that farmers have been recep- tive to new technologies hence, they are able to increase productivity from 1.5 to 1.8 tons per hectare.

During the peanut harvest, the DA regional office turned over to the local government of Enrile over 4-million worth of farm machineries and equipment, including one unit four-wheel drive tractor, four units of mill for corngrits, 10 heads of carabao, 2,500 kilos of peanut seeds for planting and 300 bags of open-pollinated corn variety.

Though peanut is considered a high value crop by DA, not just in Enrile but in neighboring towns of Peñablanca and Tuguegarao (Cagayan) and Sta. Maria and Cabagan in Isabela, the former was chosen as “number one” for having the “highest production share of 1,800 metric tons per year or 8 to10 percent of the national supply.”

Also, Enrile is the only municipality that can cultivate peanuts during the dry and wet season cropping, the DA said.

DA Region II Executive Director Lucrecio Alviar said that per cropping, the town of Enrile is able to produce a big chunk of the national production, making it the major source of raw materials for various peanut- based products processed and sold in Metro Manila.

Enrile is home to 800 peanut farmers cultivating 700 hectares of farmlands with a potential expansion area of another 800 hectares. “With improved production and yield, Enrile may be able to fill up a portion, if not all, of the import requirement for peanut of 15,060 metric tons,” Alviar added.

With the use of technology from DA and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) – particularly the use of improved varieties and fertilizers like Boron and Gypsum – the DA is optimistic that “peanut production could reach an all- time high of 3.25 tons per hectare,” or an increase of 200 percent over its current average. The DA said it hopes the farmers can sustain their productivity.

Gazmin also encouraged peanut farmers to bring their harvest to the Isabela Agri- Pinoy Trading Center, where they can directly sell their produce. The Isabela APTC is part of the government’s effort to empower farmers to become traders to enhance their incomes, stabilize food prices and encourage them to produce more. “Let us utilize the center as a venue for cooperativism” and enabling each other to produce and earn more, he said.