The Department of Agriculture (DA) Cordillera addresses concern regarding the unsold tomatoes in Tinoc, Ifugao.
According to Ifugao provincial agriculturist, Dr. Domingo Mariano, the tomatoes cultivated by farmer Enza Aguinao of Tubeng, Ap-apid in Tinoc, Ifugao were unsold because of the non-arrival of buyers from National Capital Region (NCR) and Region 3 due to the strict implementation of a ‘no vaccination, no entry” policy that is being implemented in various checkpoints by the local government units (LGUs).
This was affirmed by Diego Madino, a stall owner at the Nueva Vizcaya Agriculture Terminal (NVAT), who said that about 6 metric tons (MT) of tomatoes were dumped in Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya due to lack of buyers. Others were taken by duck and hog raisers.
According to NVAT, the prices of tomatoes have decreased from P40 to P10 for the past week.
The Regional High-Value Crops Management Program reported that Aguinao was able to earn a gross income of P800,000. However, last week, she brought home 2 MT of unsold small and ripe tomatoes from her latest harvest. She returned it to her farm, which is the normal practice in the area where it was plowed back.
In 2020, the DA-CAR has assisted a total volume of 58,991 MT of tomatoes from the municipality of Tinoc with a total value of P507,467. This year, a total of 71,563 MT with a total value of P641,947 was linked, transported, and marketed to NCR.
The DA-CAR has also provided a total of 3,000 plastic crates from Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS) and the High-Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) to the different towns.
For next week, DA-CAR has coordinated with the Ateneo Manila and the Rural Rising wherein they will be buying 1.5 MT, and 4 MT of tomatoes, respectively.
As a way forward, the agency will coordinate with the Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) and the LGU to use KADIWA trucks for the transporting and marketing of tomatoes, and coordinate with the DA-AMAS to look for more markets.
Tomato is one of the high-value cash crops in Ifugao, with 92 hectares of production area. ### (DA-CAR)
