Tunis:The Department of Agriculture-Bicol (DA-5) is urging households to cultivate vegetables in their backyards to alleviate the strain on supply and rising food prices caused by the severe El Niño.
According to Philippines News Agency, DA-5 spokesperson Lovella Guarin stated that the agency has been distributing vegetable seeds since the beginning of the year to motivate families to start home gardens and lessen their reliance on purchased vegetables. This initiative is part of a long-standing campaign to promote backyard gardening.
Guarin explained that this approach allows households to save on food expenses as they can harvest vegetables from their own gardens instead of buying them from markets. Despite this initiative, the region continues to face limited vegetable supplies due to drought conditions that commenced in the first quarter of the year, although supplies from other regions help supplement local production.
High-value crops in the region suffered the most damage from January to June, while rice production experienced significant losses from June to September. In Albay, some vegetable plantations exist, with produce like ampalaya, patola, and squash being sent to Manila. The DA is also recommending farmers plant alternative crops such as camote, which require less water.
In addition, the National Food Authority (NFA) is intensifying its efforts to procure palay (unhusked rice) to support farmers and replenish government buffer stocks. NFA-5 Assistant Regional Manager Julia Llenaresas mentioned that procurement teams are actively buying palay during the harvest season to prepare for calamities, with competitive buying prices set to assist farmers affected by the drought.
The current palay buying price in Albay, Camarines Sur, and Camarines is PHP28 per kilogram, while in Catanduanes, Sorsogon, and Masbate, it is PHP27 per kilogram. Llenaresas encouraged farmers to continue delivering their harvest to the NFA, highlighting the agency's expanded storage capacity and additional warehouse rentals to accommodate more palay deliveries. The region now has 15 warehouses, including eight large ones in Camarines Sur.
