Benguet farmers marked the 37th founding anniversary of the Cordillera with the Potato Harvest Festival in Buguias, Benguet, on July 15. The event was applauded by the Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary for High-Value Crops, Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero, who commended the farmers for their efforts.
“What a wonderful way to honor Cordillera Day. You are a model Indigenous Peoples (IP) community with a sense of cultural identity as an organized group, working together, using small parcels of land with high productivity, practicing sustainable farming, and translating this into economic development, the essence of autonomy, ” remarked Undersecretary Caballero.
As part of the festival, attendees harvested potatoes from the third shipment of seeds from Canada. These seeds were acquired through a partnership between Universal Robina Corporation (URC), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the United Potato Producers of Benguet and Mountain Province (UPPBMP).
In her message, Undersecretary Caballero emphasized that the government’s role is primarily as a facilitator.
“The potato seed system, managed by the farmers themselves, is foundation to building relationships and engagement. By starting with this system, we aim to cultivate a strong sense of community, teamwork, and ownership of the project,” she said.
She noted that, with the support of the Northern Mindanao Integrated Agricultural Research Center (NMIARC) and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), the government can use advanced technologies to produce tissue culture and purple potatoes, making them available to all farmers.
“Highland areas like Buguias can serve as learning hubs for successful farm management, models for high-value crops, and farm tourism destinations. The unique climate and soil contributes to the area’s distinctive ‘taste,’ connecting food and tourism,” the Undersecretary added.
UPPBMP Manager Ardan Copas stated that the organization has 1,000 farmer-members and aims to increase membership while stabilizing potato costs and supply. He noted that the Canadian granola potatoes yield 150% more per kilogram. With technological advances, the UPPBMP aspires of using aeroponics to grow potatoes in the future.
Thanks to ongoing assistance from URC and the DA, eight potato farmers from Benguet recently gained knowledge about potato-growing techniques during a 10-day tour in Prince Edward Island, Canada.** Aida Y. Pagtan
