Benguet farmer destroys cabbage harvest, uses it for fertilizer

Instead of selling his produce, a farmer in Benguet province opted to chop up his family's cabbage harvest and use it as fertilizer.

The video of Jan Slay Magno and his family destroying their harvest recently circulated on social media, according to Bernadette Reyes’ report on “24 Oras.”

Magno said he uploaded the video on social media in the last week of August when cabbage was being sold at P5 per kilo. He said that at those prices, their production costs outweighed the revenue.

“Nakikita ko [yung magulang ko] kung gaano sila naghihirap, 'yung mga sakripisyo nila. 'Yung halos maaga silang pumupunta sa hardin kahit malamig at saka nagagabihan sila don,” he said.

(I saw how much they suffered and sacrificed. They head out to the field early in the morning and stay there until evening.)

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is aware of the farmers’ concerns over the price of their crops, and the importance of produce from provinces reaching markets across the country.

“It has been happening for the last four or five years. Ang una wala tayong value chain na activity na nangyayari after harvest eh. Ang mga magsasaka natin kapag umani ng gulay, pinagbibili lang nila sa kanilang local market. Walang mamimili sa kanila pagdating sa Manila or dalhin sa Pangasinan o dalhin sa Quezon City o kahit saan dito sa Kalakhang Maynila,” DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said.

(It has been happening for the last four or five years. First, we don’t have value chain activities after the harvest. Farmers only sell at their local markets. No one from Manila, Pangasinan, Quezon City, or anywhere here in Manila can buy from them.)

“We shall strengthen the value acts system approach. Na mayroon tayong crop na bibilhin at may mga mamimili (that we have crops to sell and we have buyers), ” he added.

Apart from implementing mechanisms for transportation, Magno also appealed for appropriate pricing for their produce.

“Mahal na ngayon ang mga fertilizers, mahal na ngayon 'yung mga chemicals na ginagamit pampataba sa mga pananim. Nakakabaon talaga sa utang pag yung presyuhan ay hindi umaabot sa at least mga P15. Pataas man lang para kahit papano mayroong kita ang mga farmers,” he said.

(The prices of fertilizers have increased, even the prices of chemicals. You'll end up buried in debt if prices aren't at least P15 per kilo. Prices need to be fairer so farmers can earn even just a bit.)

GMA News reached out to DA for their comment on the spike in prices of fertilizers but the department had yet to respond as of posting time.

The latest data from the DA showed cabbage being sold at P60 per kilo in Metro Manila markets during the last week of August. A similar price was recorded on Tuesday, September 6. — Sundy Locus/DVM, GMA News