No shortage of Baguio vegetables this holiday season

By Liza Agoot BAGUIO CITY -- The country’s top producer of highland vegetables has assured that there will be no shortage of semi-temperate vegetables for “chopsuey” and “pancit” which are among the favorite menu items for the holiday season. Buguias, Benguet Mayor Ruben Tindaan on Monday said “usually, during Christmas, there is a high production because of the high demand for the commodity.” He added that aside from the sufficient supply, the farmers are encouraged to produce more due to the good prices of vegetables compared to the regular days. He also said that aside from the outdoor farms, there were also farmers who have established their greenhouses to prevent damage to the plants in cases of heavy rains. Other farmers have also shifted to organic vegetable production to add to the commercial vegetables production. “There are also organic greenhouses providing continuous supply,” Tindaan said. He said that aside from Buguias, other adjacent towns in Benguet, including those in Mountain Province have also established vegetable farms. “Actually, there are new farms opening, converting other lands into vegetable farms,” the mayor said. He also talked about the programs of the local government balancing deforestation to prevent the balding of the mountains. He assured, “there is no fear of shortage of vegetables.” Benguet province produces over 80 percent of the highland vegetable requirement of the country and over 70 percent of them are grown in Buguias. “We produce a high volume and percentage of carrots, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and other upland vegetables,” Tindaan said. The mayor said Buguias was the first town developed as a chopsuey-growing area in Benguet and the country, with most of its land area being used in producing vegetables for the dish. PNA