Garlic production in IN declines

By Reynaldo E. Andres

Contributor

           

Garlic production in Ilocos Norte is declining.

Of the average total production of 8,231 metric tons of garlic bulbs in 2005, the industry has suffered a major setback in the succeeding years until the yield went down to a low 5,436 metric tons in 2013. 

According to the experts at Ilocos Norte’s Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) in Laoag City, there are many reasons why garlic, one of the most lucrative agriculture business ventures in the province, is declining.

Luz Ortal, senior agriculturist at OPAG, said that the continued decline in garlic hectarage has been accused as one of the major constraints in the productivity drop. Farmers in the province are only allotting a small portion of their land for garlic which is not a perennial crop in the Ilocos region. The crop is only best planted from October 15 to later part of November.

For other varieties such as Mindoro 1 and Cabuyao, late planting can be done until December 15 only to avoid total production failure due to crop’s vulnerability to bulb rot diseases and photosensitivity.

Also, there had been a steady increase on the price of production inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides in the last few years and the insufficient supply of quality planting materials.

“There had also been a very low and unstable price of local garlic due to importation and manipulation of middlemen, including the insufficiency of modern technology on processing to produce quality products,” Ortal said.

Speaking before 200 garlic farmers in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte in a farmers forum organized by the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) last February 18, Ortal reported that from a total land area of 3,050 hectares devoted to garlic in 2005, it went down to only 1,740 hectares last year.

The scenario was also affected by the unabated influx of foreign garlic products from Taiwan and other unknown ASEAN regions by unscrupulous agricultural traders and middlemen which almost killed the price of the local produce.

In 2005 and 2006, the price of garlic was pegged at P73 per kilo and it went up slightly to P80 per kilo in 2007. In 2008 it dipped to a low P51, but it bounced back to P85 in 2011. But due to the uncontrolled situations mentioned above, the price was down to P69 per kilo at the close of 2013.

From P164 farm gate price per kilo in 2005, farmers have complained of the traders’ controlled prevailing price of P91 per kilo in 2012 and P139 per kilo in 2013.

“Despite of the situation, however, Ilocos Norte was still the number one contributor to the national garlic output in 2013,” Ortal said.

Records show that in 2010, Ilocos Norte shared 6,284 metric tons of garlic bulbs to the 9.133 metric tons production output in the country, or roughly 69 percent. Occidental Mindoro also shared 2,012 metric tons, or 22.03 percent. Nueva Ecija, Quezon Province, and Ilocos Sur also contributed 324, 268, and 245 metric tons, respectively, or shares of 3.55, 2.93, and 2.68 percent, respectively.

Because of the perfect weather suited for the crop, the province has the widest land area devoted to garlic which is about 2,130 hectares. Pasuquin’s area for garlic which is 620 hectares and is the top producing town with an annual average yield of 2,382 metric tons.

Other garlic producing areas in Ilocos Norte with their corresponding average annual yields in metric tons are Vintar (889), Sarrat (332). Burgos (399), San Nicolas (297), Paoay (315), Badoc (171), Bacarra (233), Pinili (175), Bangui (170), Batac City (150) and Laoag City (108.5).

Aside from Laoag City which has the highest garlic consumption of 114.6 metric tons in a year, other municipalities which need a remarkable bulk of the harvest is Batac, Dingras, San Nicolas and Bacarra. These towns need to consume at least 56.41, 39.85, 37.45, and 35.05 tons of garlic bulbs a year, respectively.

In contrast, Dumalneg, Carasi, Adams, Nueva Era, and Burgos, which have populations of 1,837, 1,536, 1,629, 8,001, and 9,382, respectively, only have average yearly consumptions of 1.91, 1.60, 1.69, 8.32, and 9.76 metric tons of garlic bulbs, respectively.

Ortal said that although garlic production in Ilocos Norte is decreasing, it can still substantially sustain the requirements of local farmers and consumers.

Records show that in 2012, the province reached a remarkable production yield of 5,515 metric tons and satisfied local demands of about 609 metric tons. With a production surplus of 4,906 metric tons, it reached the satisfying 905 percent self-sufficiency level.

At present, there are seven high yielding garlic varieties that are well adapted in Ilocos Norte—the Ilocos White, Ilocos Pink, Nueva Ecija Pink, Nueva Ecija White, Batanes White, Batangas White, Cabuyao, and Mindoro I.

These varieties can produce an average of 4.5 tons per hectare, but it can also reach the yield potential of 6 tons per hectare if given the proper cultural management practices. 

Sold at P150 per kilo, the six-ton yield can give the farmer a gross income of P900,000 per hectare. Deducting the production cost of P85,000, he rakes in a substantial P815,000 net profit.