BAGUIO CITY – The provincial government of Benguet said local farmers’ shift to good agricultural practices has contributed to their sector’s good performance in 2024 that allowed the province to record a 5-percent growth rate.
“Benguet’s economy has remained dependent on agriculture as its main economic driver,” Alberto Cuilan Jr., officer-in-charge of the provincial planning and development department, said in an interview on Wednesday.
He noted that agricultural production support expanded from demonstration farms and training facilities to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification of over 400 farms.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said that the shift to GAP has cut production cost due to proper use of fertilizers and pesticides as well as the utilization of the appropriate “fruit boosting” products.
The DA also said that the GAP, which requires certification, is a competitive advantage in the market with institutional buyers allowing farmers to demand a higher value for their products, aside from ensuring that their harvests are bought.
The system being employed by many farmers had also brought farmers together to consolidate their produce to meet the buyers’ demand in terms of quantity, ensuring that products have their market.
The GAP certification is encouraged among farmers — savings in production cost and for healthier and “clean” produce without excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides.
The Philippine Statistics Authority in the Cordillera Administrative Region (PSA-CAR), in its product account dissemination forum in this city on Oct. 14, said that agriculture, forestry and fishing (AFF) posted a 15.5 percent contribution to the region’s gross domestic product.
The PSA also said that AFF posted the biggest growth among the major industries in the province in 2024 with 8.1 percent from the 2023 mark.
Record also shows that Benguet’s AFF constitutes 48 percent of the region’s agriculture, forestry and fishery sector followed by Kalinga, 12.65 percent; Ifugao, 11.12 percent; Abra, 9.51 percent; Apayao, 7.92 percent; Mountain Province, 7.53 percent and Baguio City, 3.26 percent.
Cuilan also said that the improved road access linkages are vital in the increase of production and the delivery of agricultural products in the market.
Farm access roads were constructed across the 13 municipalities which now total 1,179 kilometers. Some are linked to provincial roads that also serve as access to several farming areas around the province. **Liza Agoot
