Vegetable imports hurt local farmers

Aside from being a net importer of rice, the country is also fast-becoming a big importer of vegetables, a trend that is starting to hurt local farmers.

Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor noted that from January to September this year, the country’s vegetable imports reached 266.26 metric tons of semi-temperate vegetables, with the bulk or 93 percent coming from Australia with whom the Philippines has a brewing trade dispute.

Montemayor said the growing reliance on vegetable imports to supply local demand is already translating into huge income losses to thousands of farmers in Cordillera and other areas.

He said importers brought in at least 37 kinds of semi-temperate vegetables, and some of the commodities bought overseas like carrots, broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, potato and mushroom are directly competing with local produce.

"While we cannot discourage importation, companies that are importing should be reminded that the goods they buy abroad are being produced in sufficient quantity locally," said Montemayor.

He added of the big volumes that came in during the period, about 248 MT was flown from Australia while the rest were flown from the US.

Some of the biggest importers are Rustans’ Supermarket, Leysam Commercial, Santag Commodities, Australia Food and Beverage Corporation and Werdenberg Intl.

The list also includes the Asian Development Bank Commissary, Philippine Airlines, Tuckerbag Inc., Australia Prime Macro Asia Eurest, Pacific Alliance, Blue Dairy Corporation, AFPC Property Ltd., and Mount Zion Express.

Rustans’, which also imports chicken and other meat such as lamb and beef, cornered 82 percent of total registered carrot imports this year, data by the Bureau of Plant Industry show.

The ADB commissary is also a regular importer of semi-temperate vegetables, apparently to meet the food requirements of the bank’s multi-racial staff and their dependents.

This is ironic, said the DA chief, considering the ADB has a P544-million loan exposure to the P1.19 billion Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resources Management Project, a long-term project ending next year, which aims to help upland farmers in the north increase their production and expand the market for their produce.

Montemayor appealed to importers to cut back on their importations and patronize local produce.