IN onion growers’ income improves thru PGIN support

THE GOVERNOR HARVESTS ONION. Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee R. Marcos joins in harvesting onion in Pasuquin where the Provincial Agriculture Office extended assistance to onion and garlic producers. Wilfredo Valdez [center, standing], president of the Vegetable Growers Association of Region 1, reported a 40% increase in his revenue growing lasona in his hometown Pasuquin. (Alaric Yanos)

By Grazielle Mae A. Sales

PGIN-CMO

The contribution made through the stipend distributed by the provincial government of Ilocos Norte to local vegetable farmers has now manifested when Wilfredo Valdez, the president of the Vegetable Growers Association (VGA) of Region 1 revealed that there is already 40% increase in his revenue in growing “lasona”, a local variety of onion.

This was after the request of VGA for hybrid onion seeds, organic fertilizers and tractors through the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) last November 2013 was given. Embarking on a new agribusiness advocacy which includes greater support to onion production, Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos granted the request upon receipt.

The said program is in the form of a counterpart loan of which 50 percent of the production cost is by the provincial government and the remaining 50 percent shall be handled by the farmers.

As the leader of the province’s vegetable growers, Valdez said that he ensures the sustainability of the operation by encouraging their fellow beneficiaries to pay half of the subsidy upon availing their fraction of seedlings. 

Valdez said that before the program was implemented, their farms were left uncultivated for several months and that their yield was lesser than one ton because of the smaller size of the harvested onions.

Now, the hybrid seedlings provided them larger-sized onions which are less prone to premature decomposition compared to the common onion seeds they plant, hence greater revenue.

“Nu P35 per kilo ket adan to ti P35,000 ko. Daydiay nga P35,000 ket iti gastos ko lang ket P6,000 [If the selling price is 35 pesos per kilo, then I will be able to generate P35,000. From that P35,000, I only invested P6,000 ],” said Valdez. The P6,000 worth of expenditure covers irrigation and other operating costs.

The 10 cans of 400-gram onion seeds provided by the program usually occupy 1 hectare which can be sown by 100 people, supporting one of the goals of the provincial government to combat poverty by creating more jobs which generate sustainable income.

Other vegetable seeds are also now being handed to the farmers by the provincial government for them to promote a wider variety of produce. 

“Napintas daytoy nga programa ni governor ta adut matulungan na nga pada mi nga agtaltalon, [This is a productive program by the governor as it helps a lot of farmers like us],” Valdez added.

He further related that VGA has over 170 members in the town of Pasuquin alone and the “subsidy” offered by Marcos is helping many of farmers and their families.