Who really benefits?: Benguet farmers question DA carrot importation amid high market prices

Atok, Benguet – Despite the government’s importation of thousands of metric tons of carrots aimed at lowering market prices, consumers in Metro Manila continue to pay as much as P140 per kilo while farmers in Benguet struggle with low farmgate earnings, prompting local stakeholders to question who truly benefits from the policy.

The importation forms part of the government’s “strategic importation” program, with the Department of Agriculture (DA) allowing the entry of 6,000 metric tons of carrots from May to July in an effort to address supply shortages and stabilize rising vegetable prices in key urban markets, including Metro Manila and Cebu.

Under the program, around 1,000 metric tons of carrots were already imported in April, with an additional 2,500 metric tons scheduled for entry in both May and June, and smaller volumes expected in July. The DA said carrot prices in Metro Manila currently range from P120 to P140 per kilo.

In a Facebook post on May 7, Atok Councilor Kelly Denn Tomas urged the DA to pause the implementation of the importation program and first justify the policy to the highland agricultural sector. She also called on the agency to open a dialogue with farmers and other stakeholders before proceeding.

Tomas pointed out that previous carrot importations did not result in lower retail prices in urban markets.

“Let the farmers understand, and please, understand the farmers. By the DA's own admission, their previous importation failed to bring down the retail prices of carrots in Metro Manila, which remain stubbornly high at PHP 80 to PHP 190 per kilo,” the post read.

Tomas further stressed that importation should not be treated as the default response to rising prices, emphasizing that policies should be carefully reviewed in consultation with farmers and stakeholders to ensure that local production and livelihoods are not undermined.

“Importation should never be the default reflex. We are questioning this move and ask the DA to answer these concerns before implementing a policy that will kill local livelihoods. We are positive that when the DA really listens, we can give farmers a fair price and give consumers affordable vegetables without relying on imports,” she added.