By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
A few days ago, television and radio were airing news that vegetable prices from Benguet and Mtn Prov. maintained their price levels amidst increases in so many other things. It is when the veggies reach Manila that prices really move upward. At least that was what some people were saying in response to questions.
If that is so, then we need to smartly salute our farmers for not raising hell but in the process suffering silently in the corner. And why not? Crude oil prices had increased, cost of other production inputs had inflated, etc. The national government should give our farmers some incentives in whatever form, if they had seen it fit.
On the other hand, we should censure traders because they had again taken advantage of our toiling farmers by not giving the right prices of vegetables. It doesn’t make sense if prices in Benguet for example did not move as it was dictated by supply and demand. That is not the case. Otherwise, prices elsewhere should not have also moved! Supply and demand has now taken a new twist, a new meaning – of the distorted type. Of course the harassed consumers are supposed to be thankful to the traders. But no, thank you should be the more appropriate reaction since traders amassed more profit at the expense of the farmers.
What is the difference between moving a product about a 100 kilometers away using roads with stretches that are not that good, and that of 250 kilometers of a well-paved road? Of course there is, But it is minimal. If one considers the wear and tear aspect, the veggies being moved within the Cordillera will even be costlier.
Price maintenance is a very volatile situation actually. It will soon be a thing of the past. For one, the agriculture sector uses the highest volume of crude oil. And crude oil prices increase in two fronts: one, the imposition of higher import tax because of the TRAIN Law, and two, the movement of oil price in the world market as when countries like the U.S. or China sneeze, price rises. That makes agriculture become pathogenic. It becomes a villain, when it should not.
In order for agricultural products not to jack up in prices, other forms of subsidies which could be indirect should be in place. Examples are more assistance in marketing, hauling of products from the farm to the market, and other means. The Naga city government is doing this. Trucks of the city move around the farms in designated collection areas, collect the products, then transport them to the market. Further strengthening farmers’ association, and making farmer’s more efficient should be a prime consideration.
The second part of the TRAIN law is in the offing. We brace for winds of distortion. Agriculture will definitely be further affected thus prices of farm commodities are expected to flap.
Meantime, it is best for Cordillera farmers to recognize other options of deriving income and increasing it along the way. One of this, is the agri-tourism. Many small farms in the country have now been turned into farming with tourism in mind.
Just look at the Costales Nature farm in Majayjay Laguna, touted to be the no.1 agri-tourism site in the Philippines. It was established by a couple who were not even agriculturists but IT specialists. It is a prime model of a very small farm, employing several people, and turning huge profit because it was positioned as an agri-tourism farm.
I have visited a number of thriving agri-tourism farms in places like Bicol, Pampanga, the Visayas and of course including Benguet and La Union. I can say that agri-tourism has a very. Very rosy future. In fact, it could be the way forward for relatively small farms. I intend to feature some of them in this corner in the immediate future.
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