Farmer’s rights advocate Argel Cabatbat has called on the government to address the incidence of “bagak” – or the oversupply of agricultural products after another case of surplus in tomatoes has occurred in Bgy. Tamayong in Calinan, Davao City.
Cabatbat said farmers should not be blamed solely for their decision to discard the surplus stock of harvests but instead should be helped by the concerned government agencies and private sector.
“While they do not want to waste the fruits of their hard labor by simply throwing them away, farmers do not have the means to transport these tomatoes to markets where they can be sold,” he said.
“They only rely on truck-owning traders who have the capacity to carry harvested crops across the country. Unfortunately, some of these traders take advantage of the farmers’ inability to sell their produce directly,” he added.
Photos circulating online showed what seemed to be a large amount of tomatoes that were thrown away due to excess supply. Some of these tomatoes have begun to rot, proving unsafe for consumption.
This comes shortly after a similar situation occurred in Bgy. Kalayaan, Laguna last Oct. 9 when more than 10 tons of tomatoes were disposed in a sidewalk and led to what farmers call bagak, or the oversupply of harvested crops resulting to massive spoilage.
According to news reports, farmers lost as much as P4 million because of the oversupply. Production of tomatoes in the country has been estimated to cost farmers P200, 000 per hectare, depending on the variety.
In previous seasons, farmers were offered at least PhP500 for a box or 21 kilos of tomatoes. The surplus dragged down the price to PhP100 per box, and eventually making traders reject the excessive supply. (PR)
Disclaimer
Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.
