The Department of Agriculture (DA) is looking for ways to help vegetable farmers in Benguet recover after their crops were damaged by continuous rains.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. directed the DA-Cordillera to assess the situation and take necessary steps to help farmers address the situation.
This developed after shipments of unsold Chinese cabbage and carrots were reportedly discarded along the Labey-Lacamen Road in Tublay town.
DA-Cordillera chief Jennilyn Dawayan said the cabbage shipment was traced to a farmer from Barangay Gambang in Bakun town who harvested the vegetables on Aug. 13.
The produce was transported to La Trinidad, but was stuck for two days and two nights while lined up to enter the trading center.
Due to continuous rains, the cabbage developed signs of rotting and became unfit for the market.
The truck was pulled out and the vegetables were dumped in a vacant lot.
The shipment of carrots was owned by a farmer in Amlimay, Buguias, who harvested four tons of the crop on Aug. 11, but was able to sell only 700 kilos at the trading center the next day.
Up to 5,800 kilos of crops were wasted in both incidents of vegetable-dumping due to bad weather, long queues and congestion at trading centers.