LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) regional director in the Cordillera highlands up north is urging Filipinos to prioritize local agricultural produce amid challenges rooted in importation.
“Let us be the voice crying in the wilderness against smuggling. It is our responsibility as consumers, as government players, and as stakeholders to report this immediately,” Regional Director Jennilyn M. Dawayan said at Tuesday’s opening of the Benguet Agri-Tourism Fair at the Benguet Cold Chain in Wangal, here.
Emphasizing the integral role of Benguet province in the Cordillera region’s farming industry, Ms. Dawayan said this province maintains the status as the leading producer of semi-temperate vegetables and the premier source of strawberries in the country.
Data from the DA-Cordillera Administrative Region, the province produces 88% of the Cordillera’s total vegetable output and 59% of its heirloom rice. It also holds the sixth position nationwide in green bean production.
Ms. Dawayan also highlighted the province’s role as a hub for agri-tourism with destinations like the “Northern Blossoms” in Atok town and major trading posts including the La Trinidad Trading Post and the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC). — Artemio M. Dumlao
