Benguet farmers fear toll of vegetable frost

Several farmers in the upland town of Atok, Benguet have expressed fears that the frost persistently covering their crops over the past days might lead to a poor harvest.

According to a Balitanghali report by Russel Simorio of GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon, some farmers in Atok have been coping with frost — or tiny ice crystal deposits known locally as andap — for seven straight days. The affected crops include cabbage, Chinese cabbage (pechay Baguio), and carrots.

Temperatures dropped to 13 degrees Celsius as of 9 a.m. Tuesday in Baguio City, and even lower in Atok.

In Barangay Paoay, recent strong winds have prevented vegetable crops from totally freezing up as only cold water and fog were observed on Tuesday.

The Department of Agriculture—Cordillera is monitoring the farms affected by the frost and estimating the extent of its damage.

Farmers are hoping to sell their cabbages at the La Trinidad Vegetable and Trading Post, where buyers from other provinces flock to buy their produce.

According to the report, farmers said the buying price of cabbage at P15 per kilogram is already favorable to them as it would offset their expenses, including the cost of fertilizers.

Cabbage prices recently dropped to P3 per kilogram.

Hundreds of cabbages were earlier dumped along a road in Tublay, Benguet after farmers opted to give these away for free as traders refused to buy their produce.

The Agriculture department said cabbage prices have normalized with the increase in buyers.

The DA—Cordillera has been looking for institutional buyers from Pangasinan and La Union to facilitate the faster sale of farmers' vegetables. — Jamil Santos/ VDV, GMA Integrated News