By Reynaldo E. Andres
Contributor
PASUQUIN, Ilocos Norte—The Mariano Marcos State University
(MMSU) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) have allotted some P10 million to
help revitalize Ilocos’ ailing garlic industry.
This was announced by Dr. Prima Fe R. Franco during a farmers’
forum held in this town before more than 200 garlic farmers who attended
the cross visit to the well-established garlic farms at Brgys. Nalvo and San
Juan.
Franco said this move will be realized through a sustainable
seed support system which will be jointly implemented by MMSU, the Ilocos Norte
provincial government (PGIN), DA Regional Field Unit 1 (DA RFU-1), Ilocos
Agriculture, Aquatic, and Resources Research and Development Consortium
(ILAARRDEC), the Garlic Growers Association of Ilocos Norte, Philippine Rice
Research Institute (PhilRice-Batac), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), and
the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).
Under the proposed program, the university is assuring the
garlic farmers of quality garlic cloves to be used in their succeeding garlic
planting seasons. At present, the university has planted five hectares of its
more than 200-hectare production area in the main campus solely for high
quality garlic varieties such as the “Ilocos White”, “Cabuyao”, “Ilocos Pink”,
and “Tan Bolters”.
Working in partnership with the other agencies, the university
will step up moves to enhance the capability of the garlic growers in producing
high quality planting materials, too, so that it could sustain the garlic seed
system in the province.
Going through in the same vein is the plan to expand the area
planted to garlic through this scheme; and strengthen the linkages among
farmers, government agencies and non-government organizations so that the
producers’ marketing scheme will be improved.
Records from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) show
that Ilocos Norte is contributing an annual share of 69 percent in the total
garlic production in the country. Occidental Mindoro ranks second with a
contribution of 22.03 percent, while Quezon Province and Ilocos Sur rank third
and fourth with annual productions of 2.93 and 2.68 percent, respectively.
However, the trend of garlic production in the province during
the last nine years show a dramatic decline as reflected in the BAS statistics.
Luz Ortal, senior agriculturist at the Ilocos Norte Provincial
Agriculture Office reported that from 8,231 metric tons (MT) production in
2005, it went down to 6,282.5 MT in 2012, then, to 5,435.76 MT in 2013. Also,
the total production areas suffered an abrupt decrease from 3,050 hectares in 2005
to only about 1,700 hectares in 2013.
“However, the yield of our farmers had projected a slight
increase from an average of 2.70 MT in 2005 to about 3.11 and 3.12 MT in 20012
and 2013, respectively,“ Ortal said.
Franco lamented that garlic, which used to be a P1-billion
industry and a major cash crop in the Ilocos region, has suffered a major
setback in the last seven years. Insect pests and diseases, adverse effects of
climate change, and the high disregard of some farmers on the latest garlic
production technologies are being accused to as the major culprits of reducing
the annual yield of 12,581 MT in 2006 to 8,491 MT in 2012.
“This productivity decline has threatened the livelihood of
Ilocos Norte farmers, thus, lessening the supply to meet local demand,” Franco
said adding that such scenario had encouraged the importation and smuggling of
garlic by unscrupulous businessmen and big time garlic traders.
What can be done
To correct the situation, Franco
is pushing for an extension advocacy campaign to promote awareness on the use
of local produce instead of the imported ones. This, she said, will help boost
local economy and stop the importation of low quality products.
Another is the strengthening of garlic research to develop
garlic strains that are high-yielding, aromatic, pest resistant, and produce
big cloves.
Last year, MMSU has proposed a national garlic industry
improvement program to Senators Cynthia Villar and Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Ilocos
Norte Gov. Ma. Imelda R. Marcos, and Agriculture Sec. Proceso Alcala through an
inquiry held at the MMSU Function Hall on October 30. That meeting tackled the
policies and practices on the importation and distribution of garlic and onion
which greatly affects Ilocos farmers.
Under the proposal, the MMSU shall conduct a germplasm
collection, conservation and characterization of local varieties of garlic, and
formulates a seed support system to sustain production. This is now being
addressed to with the establishment of the 5-hectare composite garlic
production area in the main campus.
“With the P10 million allotted fund, we will be able to buy 61.5
tons of quality planting materials for our farmers and increase to 136 hectares
the total land areas of garlic farms in the province this 2014,” Franco said.
Franco assured that of the 61.5 tons of garlic planting
materials, 10 tons will be planted in MMSU and 51.5 tons will be distributed to
farmers in Pasuquin, Pinili, Burgos, Vintar and Bacarra which are the sole
towns producing quality garlic bulbs in the region.
She, too, hopes that about 453 farmers will be benefited from
this program that targets a 4,500 kg of garlic yield per hectare.
Comments
Post a Comment