Firm taps Indian experts to boost garlic production
Credit to Author: EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ| Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2019 16:31:01 +0000
A local company and agricultural experts from India have teamed up to help boost the Philippines’ garlic production by planting the crop in alternative areas.
According to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, agri-entrepreneur German Panghulan, who owns Vetmate, a veterinary firm that is now venturing into garlic production, has established a one-hectare demonstration farm in Banjo Laurel town in Batangas province’s Tanauan City with the help of the Indian experts.
He said the farm aimed “to show that garlic could be grown in the Philippines outside of the traditional production areas.”
Garlic is widely cultivated in Regions 1 (Ilocos), 3 (Central Luzon) and 4 (Southern Tagalog). Local varieties include Batangas, Ilocos and Batanes white garlic.
“We faced a lot of challenges in establishing the demo farm, especially since Batangas is not really a garlic production area and also because we planted during the off-season,” Panghulan was quoted as saying in a statement.
Garlic grows favorably in areas where it rains from May to October and is dry from November to April. The crop does not grow well in areas with excessive rainfall.
Panghulan explained that, unlike in the Philippines, garlic is grown in almost all regions in India.
“It is just a question of the right variety and the correct technology,” he said.
The Indian experts, Piñol said, helped set up the farm by using their soil enhancers and efficient drip irrigation system.
The garlic bulbs grown are scheduled to be harvested in April, he added.
Data from Philippine Statistics Authority showed that garlic production reached 7.56 thousand metric tons (TMT) in 2018, a 2.48-percent decrease from 7.75 TMT the year before.
Its production value at current prices, however, grew to 7.34 percent to P714.05 million last year from P665.22 million in 2017.
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