Vegetables, root crops posts lower Q3 yields

The country’s major vegetable and root crops posted lower production in the third quarter of the year due to the decrease in harvested areas in the country.

Among the country’s top vegetable and root crops are mongo, peanut, cabbage, eggplant, tomato, sweet potato and cassava.

In its latest quarterly bulletin, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said cassava production dropped three percent to 600,100 metric tons (MT) amid shifting from cassava for industrial use to yellow corn production because of the strict implementation of buying quality chips by feed manufacturers.

There was also insufficient soil moisture during tuber formation and reduced demand from feed manufacturers and lower buying price in some areas.

ARMM was the top producing region in the country, with 47 percent of the national cassava output during the period.

Production of sweet potato decreased by three percent to 132,150 MT amid smaller and lesser tubers harvested due to insufficient soil moisture and the effects of sweet potato weevil and leaf blight disease.

Eastern Visayas, the top producing region during the quarter constituted 45 percent of the aggregate.

Eggplant production in the July to September period posted a two percent decrease to 38,490 MT attributed to the effects of heavy rains and the occurrence of stem borer and fruit borer.

Cabbage production was also lower by eight percent to 15,810 MT following lesser heads harvested caused by excessive rainfall and reduction of area planted.

Peanut production dropped 2.1 percent to 3,630 MT due to crop shifting following government subsidy on seeds and fertilizers, lesser pods harvested and the occurrence of rat infestation in some areas.

Mongo production went down five percent to 1,420 MT from 1,500 MT in 2017 which was attributed to lesser pods harvested caused by the frequent rains, presence of pod borers, and the shifting of some areas from mongo to white corn production due to lesser availability of planting materials.

Top mongo producer was Cagayan Valley with 44 percent of the country’s total production. Davao region followed next with 11 percent, and ARMM with eight percent.

On the other hand, tomato production in the third quarter inched up one percent to 27,340 MT amid high demand and better prices in the market.

Northern Mindanao recorded the biggest production with 72 percent share of the total output for the period.