LAOAG CITY, June 9 (PNA) –Ilocano farmers continue to enjoy stable price for garlic as the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) buys back garlic harvest previously distributed to them as seed stocks during the planting season.
For barely four weeks now since the launching of the May 20 buyback scheme for garlic growers here, the provincial government has already bought more than PHP5 million or a total of 63,878 kilos from farmers in Pasuquin, Bacarra and Pinili towns.
Pegged at a farm gate price ranging from PHP70 to PHP84 per kilo depending on its classification (Grades 1-3), the stockpile of garlic bought by the provincial government are temporarily deposited at the Takuat Training Center in San Nicolas town for proper disposal.
To assist local garlic producers to widen their market reach, the buyback scheme was initiated by the provincial government to help stabilize market price where there is abundant supply.
“It is the first time that we are implementing a buyback scheme in Ilocos Norte wherein the provincial government will buy garlic produce from the local growers and sell them to the national market,” said Edwin Carińo, head of the Millenium Development Goals under the provincial government.
Mel Acio of the Association of Garlic Growers and Processors in Ilocos Norte said garlic supply in the province has doubled compared to last year as the provincial government in partnership with the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and the Department of Agriculture work together to revitalize the garlic industry here.
According to Carińo, over 4,000 tons of garlic stocks in Ilocos Norte come from the top garlic-producing municipalities of Pasuquin, Bacarra, Vintar and Pinili.
This year’s majority harvests came from the planting stocks distributed by MMSU and PGIN to the different garlic growers associations in the province before the planting season last October.
As the country’s top garlic supplier, Cariño said the government is intensifying its efforts to further strengthen garlic production in the province as well as to sustain the livelihood of Ilocano farmers.(PNA)