MMSU, DA earmark P10M to revitalize the Ilocos’ garlic industry

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.