Agriculture Undersecretary Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero, who is in-charge of the agency’s high-value crops program, is looking to add more spice into Filipino farmers’ lives in hopes of duplicating the recent success of onion farmers with those cultivating local garlic, ginger, and shallots.
“These spices are very basic to us. That’s why our value proposition is that, for example, a clove of native garlic is equal in potency to that provided by the bigger-sized import,” said Caballero. According to her, other countries appreciate the potency of the Ilocos garlic variety and that DA efforts are underway to ensure planting materials don’t end up overseas.
“The DA is supporting efforts to preserve the garlic heritage through genomics. So, we are looking at a strategic investment in resilient agriculture…to again position our garlic as the Ilocos’ white gold in the 1990s,” she said.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed local garlic production account for only 2.6 percent of annual demand of 146,879 metric tons. Ilocos Norte, Batanes and Nueva Ecija are the top three garlic producing provinces.
Caballero said that as early as March, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. has ordered DA offices in Region II to buy as much garlic from Ilocos Norte and Batanes for redistribution to farmers as planting materials when the season starts in September.
She said the goal is to increase domestic garlic production to at least 20 percent of domestic requirements by next year, and possibly more, depending on how the DA program pans out and how farmers respond.
As for ginger and shallots, Caballero said the DA is looking closely at consumption and supply sources as well as the use of the spices. She said data is needed to ensure the country only imports what is needed amid tightness in local supply.
Ginger, for example, Caballero said, is both used for home cooking as well as food processing and colorant or as a supplement.
She said the DA is looking at provinces in Region IV to determine if there is available supply and if the challenge is more a matter of logistics.
“If the challenge is logistics, then how do we now help those producing these spices and bring them to Metro Manila systematically,” she said.
