AGRICULTURE Secretary Proceso J. Alcala inaugurated on June 23 the P1.3-M storage facility for garlic and onion at the MMSU warehouse as a gesture of support to the ailing industry.

The facility, which was funded by the Department of Agriculture (DA), is in line with the project of revitalizing the garlic industry through a sustainable seed support system, which MMSU started last year. It is intended to safeguard high quality garlic bulbs from pests and diseases so that farmers will have healthy planting materials for the next cropping season.

The university, along with the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, Bureau of Plant Industry, PhilRice, Agricultural Training Institute, and DA, has been tapped to help revive the ailing Ilocos’ garlic industry by allotting some P10-M for a sustainable seed support project. As of this date, however, some P6.15-M has been used for the initial implementation of the project which includes the storage facility.

Last year, the university utilized five hectares of its more than 200-hectare production area in the main campus solely for high quality garlic varieties such as the Ilocos White, Cabuyao, Ilocos Pink, and Tan Bolters.

Working in partnership with the other agencies, the university is stepping up moves to enhance the capability of the garlic growers in producing high quality planting materials, too, so that it could sustain the garlic seed system in the province.

At present, the university has a total 47.37 tons of high quality garlic bulbs ready for this year’s planting season which is from October 15 to November 30. Of this volume, 29.17 tons were bought from reputable farmers in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte and 9.90 tons were produced by the university from last season.

During the first quarter, price of garlic bulbs was P140 per kilo. However, because of the reported scarcity of supply in the local market, the prevailing price in the province is now pegged at P200 per kilo, lower by P80 than those being sold in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. So far, the DA has already spent P4,083,800 for planting materials bought from Ilocano farmers and about P1,162,000 from MMSU. From the allotted P6.15 million for planting materials, there is still P904,200 left for those who may want to sell their produce to MMSU.

Meanwhile, records from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) show that Ilocos Norte is contributing an annual lion’s share of 69 percent in the total garlic production in the country. Occidental Mindoro ranks second with a contribution of 22.03 percent, while Quezon Province and Ilocos Sur rank third and fourth with annual productions of 2.93 and 2.68 percent, respectively.

However, the trend of garlic production in the province in the last nine years showed a dramatic decline as reflected in the BAS statistics.

Records from the Ilocos Norte Provincial Agriculture Office show that from 8,231 metric tons (MT) production in 2005, it went down to 6,282.5 MT in 2012, then, to 5,435.76 MT in 2013. Also, the total production areas suffered an abrupt decrease from 3,050 hectares in 2005 to only about 1,700 hectares in 2013.

Dr. Prima Fe R. Franco, MMSU vice president for research and extension, lamented that garlic has suffered a major setback in the last seven years. Insect pests and diseases, adverse effects of climate change, and the high disregard of some farmers on the latest garlic production technologies are being blamed as the major culprits in the reduction of the annual yield of 12,581 MT in 2006 to 8,491 MT in 2012.

“This productivity decline has threatened the livelihood of Ilocos Norte farmers, thus, lessening the supply to meet local demand,” Franco said adding that such scenario has encouraged the importation and smuggling of garlic by unscrupulous businessmen and big time garlic traders.