ROOT CROPS

Root crops are the third most important crops in the Philippines, after rice and corn. They are traditional crops that are easy to cultivate and can easily adapt to a broad range of agro-ecological conditions. The common root crops grown in the country are cassava, sweet potato, yam, ube, arrowroot, tugui, and singkamas. Of the above-mentioned common crops grown in the country, carrots, cassava (for food), radish, sweet potato and white potato are the commodities included in the market basket of the province.

The average farmgate prices of a kilogram of carrots, white potato and radish decreased during the fourth quarter of 2021 ranging from 2.20 to 22.38 percent (Table 1). Radish registered the highest decrease of PhP7.06 from PhP31.54 per kilogram in the fourth quarter of 2020 to PhP24.48 per kilogram over the same quarter in 2021. Meanwhile, average farmgate prices per kilogram of sweet potato and cassava for food rose by 1.76 percent and 4.73 percent, respectively.

Table 1 . Average Farmgate Prices of Rootcrops in Benguet 4th Quarter 2020 and 2021 (in Pesos per Kilogram)

LEGUMES

The varied soil type, climate and elevatlon of Benguet permit the growing of a wide range of leguminous crops. All of the leguminous vegetables of commerce in the province can be grown during the wet and dry season plantings. Among all the leguminous crops cultivated, habitchuelas (snap beans) and sweat peas Baguio were included in FPS basket being monitored in the province.

For the meantime, the average farmgate prices per kilograms of legumes dropped by 16.12 percent for sweet peas Baguio and 17.37 percent for habitchuelas as compared to the same quarter of 2020 (Table 2).

Table 2. Average Farmgate Prices of Legumes in Benguet 4th Quarter 2020 and 2021 (in Pesos per Kilogram)

CONDIMENTS

The average farmgate prices per kilogram of condiments during the fourth quarter of 2021 posted decreases: onion leeks by 1.46 percent and pepper bell (red and green) by 29.20 percent compared to same period a year ago (Table 3). 

Table 3. Average Farmgate Prices of Condiments in Benguet 4th Quarter 2020 and 2021 (in Pesos per Kilogram)

FRUIT VEGETABLES

The average farmgate prices of a kilogram of cucumber and tomato during the fourth quarter of 2021 decreased by14.31 and 26.72 percent, respectively.On the other hand, chayote posted slight increase of 0.73 percent from PhP9.05 average farmgate price per kilogram in 2020 to PhP9.12 average farmgate prices per kilogram in 2021.

Table 4. Average Farmgate Prices of Fruit Vegetables in Benguet 4th Quarter 2020 and 2021 (in Pesos per Kilogram)

LEAFY VEGETABLES

The average farmgate prices of leafo vegetables in the province during the fourth quarter of 2021 is very volatile. All of the leafy vegetables present in the market basket recorded decreases in their farmgate prices which ranges from 0.49 percent to 24.32 percent (Table 5).

Table 5. Average Farmgate Prices of Leafy Vegetables in Benguet 4th Quarter 2020 and 2021 (in Pesos per Kiloqram)

FRUITS

The average farmgate prices per kilogram of banana latundan and banana bungulan decreased by 9.94 and 5.32 percent during the fourth quarter of 2021 compared to the same quarter of 2020 (Table 6). Meanwhile, in the fourth quarter of 2021, strawberry and banana saba displayed an increase in their average farmgate prices by 9.33 percent and 10.16 percent over same quarter in 2020, respectively.

Table 6. Average Farmgate Prices of Fruits in Benguet 4th Quarter 2020 and 2021 (in Pesos per Kilogram)

NON-FOOD INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL CROPS (NFIC)

Non-food industrial commercial crops (NFIC) are also being produced in the province. Among these crops, Coffee arabica, anthurium, chrysanthemum and roses were the only commodities included in the market basket.

During the fourth quarter of 2021, all of the NFIC commodities recorded an increase in their farmgate prices which ranges from 8.65 percent to 40.57 perecent. Anthurium exhibited the highest increase with an average price of PhP59.26 in 2021 against PhP42.16 in the same quarter of 2020 (Table 7).

Table 7. Average Farmgate Prices of Non-Food lndustrial Commercial Crops (NFIC) in Benguet 4th Quarter 2020 and 2021 (in Pesos per Kilogram)

LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY

Average farmgate prices of livestock and poultry products are collected from backyard raisers and commercial establishments. During the fourth quarter of 2021, the average farmgate prices of backyard livestock and poultry products manage to increase by 24.43 and 3.87 percent, respectively, represented by hogs upgraded for slaughter and chicken native/ improved (Table 8).

Table 8. Average Farmgate Prices of Backyard Livestock and Poultry in Benguet 4th Quarter 2020 and 2021 (in Pesos per Kilogram)

ln the meantime, average farmgate prices of commercial livestock and poultry products varies (Table 9). Hogs upgraded for slaughter posted an increase of 15.56 percent or higher by PhP23.29 from PhP186.02 in 2021 as against PhP149.50 in 2020. On the other hand, chicken egg and chicken layer decreased by 1.66 and 3.25 percent, respectively.

Table 9. Average Farmgate Prices of Commercial Livestock and Poultry in Benguet 4th Quarter 2020 and 2021 (in Pesos per Kilogram)