At least 180 metric tons of assorted vegetables from the typhoon Maring-affected provinces in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, and Bicol were delivered to the Balintawak Cloverleaf Market in Quezon City on October 25, 2021.
This is in line with the efforts of the government, under the Department of Agriculture (DA), to ensure the availability and affordability of fresh lowland and highland vegetables for Metro Manila consumers despite the damage brought by the typhoon to production areas in Luzon.
“It only shows na wala tayong problema sa pagdating ng supply ng mga highland and lowland vegetables dito sa Metro Manila,” DA Assistant Secretary for Operations Arnel De Mesa said noting that prices should be stable.
Some of the vegetables delivered include carrots, chayote, pechay Baguio, white potato, squash, tomato, cucumber, beans, eggplant, and ampalaya from the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC), Nueva Vizcaya Agricultural Terminal (NVAT), and the Agripreneur Farmers Producers Association (AFPAI) of Camarines Sur.
Assistant Secretary De Mesa said that the DA directly coordinates with the concerned local government units, private sector partners, and the farmers’ cooperatives to ensure continued production and delivery of commodities that will also ensure the steady income of farmers.
“Simula noong Maring, regular na nagdadala rito sa Balintawak mga sampung trucks, ngayon ay labing anim, so masasabi natin na stable naman iyong condition ng pagdadala ng gulay mula sa mga lugar na naapektuhan ng bagyo,” he said.
He added that the DA assists farmers by providing interventions such as production inputs including seeds and fertilizers, financial assistance, trainings, crop insurance, and market linkage among others.
DA Director for NCR Operations Dennis Arpia, High Value Crops Development Program Director U-Nichols Manalo, Herberth Silverio of the Quezon City Market Development and Administration Department, and Baguio Benguet Truckers Association President Clifford Galangco were also present during the market visit. ### (Gumamela Celes Bejarin, DA-AFID)
