Soaring costs caused by the Middle East war are piling pressure on Filipino farmers, with the Southeast Asian archipelago particularly vulnerable to oil shocks because of its heavy reliance on imported fuel.
Wagayan’s experience mirrors the challenges faced by many highland farmers, according to Agot Balanoy, an adviser at La Trinidad’s vegetable trading hub, who said that a number of growers are halting harvests as buyers pull out as a result of weak demand and surging costs.
Balanoy said some buyers are cancelling or limiting purchases, reflecting a shift in consumer behaviour as households grappling with soaring inflation cut back on vegetables and opt instead for cheaper, filling alternatives such as instant noodles.
It costs farmers 18 to 20 pesos ($0.2990 to $0.3323) to produce a kilo of cabbage, Balanoy said, covering basic farm inputs such as seeds and fertilisers, but farmgate prices have collapsed to as low as three pesos, and in recent days have hovered at just five to eight pesos per kilo.
