BENGUET FARMERS QUESTION DA CARROT IMPORTS AS LOCAL GROWERS STRUGGLE

ATOK, Benguet — A Benguet councilor is urging the Department of Agriculture (DA) to suspend its planned importation of 6,000 metric tons of carrots, warning that the move could further burden local farmers already suffering from low farmgate prices despite high market costs.

Atok Councilor Kelly Denn Tomas, together with agricultural researchers and civil society groups, called on the DA to reconsider the importation plan and explain the basis for the decision before implementation.

Tomas questioned why large-scale carrot imports are being pushed even as local farmers continue to struggle to earn from their harvests.

“If importing carrots failed to bring down retail prices, then consumers and farmers are still losing,” Tomas said.

The DA earlier announced the phased importation of carrots, including 1,000 metric tons in April and 2,500 metric tons each in May and June, citing elevated market prices.

However, Tomas argued that while carrot prices in Metro Manila reportedly remain between PHP 80 and PHP 190 per kilo, farmgate prices in Benguet remain heavily depressed, raising concerns that middlemen and importers benefit more than farmers and consumers.

Representing one of the country’s top highland vegetable-producing areas, Tomas challenged the DA to publicly present data proving a genuine supply shortage that local harvests cannot meet.

She also criticized the lack of consultation with farmers, civil society organizations, and agricultural experts before the decision was made.

“Importation should never be the default reflex,” Tomas said. “We are asking the DA to answer these concerns before implementing a policy that could kill local livelihoods.”

Tomas and several Benguet agricultural stakeholders are now calling for dialogue with the national government, saying long-term solutions should focus on strengthening local agriculture and ensuring fair prices for both farmers and consumers instead of relying on imports.