BY: VANESA BUGTONG
Mae has finished harvesting cabbage in Buguias, Benguet, but she is still monitoring the remaining crops.
Aside from cabbage, they also sell new cabbage leaves after harvest, which are more expensive than the cabbage itself.
According to Mae, a Farmer, “Sometimes I can sell them for 40 pesos per kilo when there’s not much, but if the cabbage prices drop, they go down to 30, 35, or 25 pesos.”
Despite the price drops, they still manage to recover through the sales of the cabbage leaves.
“Actually, my brother planted them. He got a little, but it’s not enough for all the effort, especially with the low vegetable prices,” Mae added.
However, they are concerned about the potential damage from frost.
On January 20, frost covered some vegetable farms in Barangay Paoay, Atok, Benguet, after temperatures dropped in the early morning.
“We’re on the second day now. It started yesterday,” said Punong Barangay Murphy Wagayan.
Due to the frost, some crops have been damaged.
“Farming here is like a gamble. They plant, not knowing if they’ll succeed or fail,” Wagayan added.
“Farmers here water their crops to prevent them from wilting, but if the frost is heavy, they just let it be, knowing it will still melt,” said Bobby Apit.
According to Bobby Apit, the farmers know what to do to protect their crops from frost damage.
According to PAGASA, the weather will continue to cool in February with the strengthening of the northeast monsoon.
