LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The municipal council of Mankayan has approved an ordinance declaring every first Wednesday to Friday of February of every year as “Farmers Day”.
Mankayan Mayor Materno Luspian said the ordinance aims to give proper recognition to about 10,000 farmers whose decades of hard work sustained the vegetable industry, and growth of the economy of their town and the province.
“Though we have been honoring our local farmers especially during our foundation day, it is high time to give them this special day, not only to boost their production and increase their income but to encourage them to practice organic farming,” he said in an interview with Philippine News Agency on Monday.
The local chief executive said the special farmers’ day is an important way of promoting organic farming.
In municipal Ordinance Number 2018-04 passed on February 13, a copy was obtained on Monday, states that the Farmers’ Day “will strengthen the programs of agriculture in the municipality of Mankayan and encourage them to engage in Good Agriculture Practice (GAP).”
Data gathered at the provincial agriculture office indicated that Mankayan has a total of 9,133 farmers, mostly engaged in the production of leafy, fruits and root vegetables.
The town has a total of 5,542.03 hectares of agricultural area out of the 20,530.43 hectares land area.
In 2016, white potato, cabbage and Chinese cabbage were the top three vegetables produced in Mankayan, based on the town’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
The town’s other agricultural products are lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, green onions, spinach, watercress, edible fern, “snap beans”, garden peas, sweet pepper, cucumber, tomato, squash, zucchini, eggplant, bitter gourd, rice and corn.
Mankayan was able to produce 107,050.26 metric tons of different vegetable and other agricultural products in 2016. (PNA)
