Benguet Farmers Besieged by Imported Flowers 
Urge gov’t to stop importation

Cut-flower growers and local traders of Baguio and Benguet are urging the government to stop issuing licenses for the importation of flowers. They say that like vegetables, the flower industry is threatened by the entry of cheaper imported flowers that displaces them in the local markets.

By Northern Dispatch (Nordis)
Posted by Bulatlat.com  

roses and other flowers. Most of these flowers are locally grown in barangays Bahong, Tomay, Alapang, and Ambiong of this municipality and some barangays in Baguio City.

Farmers narrate that aside from the threat of importation, they are affected by high prices of agricultural inputs, marketing problems, and low prices of their products. Some even incurred loans but end up remaining indebted up to now. If not going outright bankrupt, these growers find it very hard to make both ends meet these days.

Rose Bolinto, 45, told NORDIS that her farm is not big enough to produce more flowers. Most farmers in Bahong tend small plots of about 25 square meters. Bolinto has been engaged in flower growing for at least 15 years.

She plants Malaysian spray mums, which may be harvested after three months. To have a good produce, however, she applies organic fertilizers and foliar spray at least two to three times before harvesting. She spends at least P10,000 for an entire crop from planting up to harvesting.

1980s

In the early 1980s, the yields used to double or triple her capital. This alleviated the poor conditions of our farmers, she recalls with pride.

“Nakapatakder ken nakagatang ti lugan ti dadduma a mannalon gapu iti produksyon ti sabsabong”(Farmers had built houses and bought vehicles as a result of flower production), she happily recalls. They branded their products as “green gold” because of the profits they realized from it then.

“Ngem itatta, sabali ti sitwasyon. Idi tengnga ti 90’s, adda’t bassit a maituon wenno apag-usto’t paglakuan. No mamingsan agawid kami a nakissayan ti bassit ti kapital” (Now, the situation is very different. Since the mid-1990s, we either gained a little, broke even, or sometimes went home with our capital fund lessened), she continues.

Ceasar, 40, narrated how he experienced losses. Last year, he planted Malaysian Spray Mums in Brookside, Baguio City with P20,000 as capital. He was able to sell only P14,000, losing P6,000 excluding his labor for three months and other foodstuffs to sustain a flower grower.

Asked if he ever tried markets outside Baguio, he replied they traveled as far as Manila in the past and in fact realized some profit.

“Ngem itatta ket adu ti sabong a mailako diay Manila a nagapo iti ruar ti pagilyan. Ti daduma magapo idiay Davao, Cebu ken Tagaytay.” (Now, there are many flowers for sale in Manila which are imported from other countries. Others come from Davao, Cebu and Tagaytay.)

He added that with this kind of competition, going to Manila is no assurance for selling their products given the influx of imported flowers. “It is even more expensive because we have to pay for the transportation and other collateral expenses,” he explained.

Rose farmers share the same situation. Manang Esther, 47, prefers to plant roses to other flowers. A rose can survive and be productive within five years, unlike mums which have to be replanted every three months, she added.

Explaining to NORDIS the details of rose farming, Manang Esther said that rose growers cut wild rose stems (stock) and plant them in their farms. After two months, they do the budding (or marcotting) of the wild flowers with Holland rose. After four months, the roses produce flowers in different colors—white, red, pink and yellow. Rosebuds may be harvested every other day for the next five years.

Again, for better production, farmers need to apply organic fertilizer and foliar spray, at least two to three times within six months. Roses are in demand during December and February, adds Manang Esther.

Expensive local flowers vs. cheap imported ones

Mrs. Bolinto explained that they directly sell to the market first-class Malaysian mums at P50 to P60 per bundle, and the cheaper ones at P20 to P30. During special occasions, such as All Saints’ Day, they sell the first-class roses as high as P80 to P100 per bundle.

Mrs. Bantas, at least 50 years old of Barangay Pico of this municipality, is a flower vendor. She buys a bale of Malaysian Spray Mums for P400 to P500. She can make 25 to 30 bundles per bale. She sells the Malaysian mums at P35 per bundle. These are not the first-class ones. Assuming that all her bundled flowers are sold, she gains at least P300 per bale.

Vendors say that some of their goods are impossible to sell. Manong Ceasar cited their last year’s experience where imported Malaysian Mums were sold in the city market for a cheaper price, as low as P25 to P30 per bundle.

“We can’t adjust our selling price to compete with the imported ones. We base our prices on our incurred expenses from planting up to harvest time,” Ceasar told NORDIS. “We always end up with more unsold flowers.”

Call to support local farmers

Bahong farmers tried to lessen their expenses by buying agricultural inputs and pesticides from their cooperative Bahong Cutflowers Multipurpose Cooperative (BCMC) and the Benguet Cutflowers Association (BCA). The coop buys the farm inputs directly from manufacturers, then sell these to their members at affordable prices, even on credit payable after harvest.

Despite their efforts, they continuously face problems such as marketing, lack of government support, and competition with imported products. They realize the effects of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade on Benguet farmers, including those in the flower industry.

A snowballing anti-GATT campaign of farmers from Benguet and Mountain Province is now gaining support among flower growers. They now realize the government’s broken promises to adopt measures to cushion the impact of imported farm produce as it affects local farmers. GATT was ratified by the Philippine Congress in 1994.

“Dakkel ti epekto ti GATT-WTO. Pinakaro na ti panaka-bankrupt ti farmers. Adayo a napintas ti imported, ken nalaka pay”  (The GATT-WTO had a big effect. It worsened farmers’ bankruptcy. Imported flowers are in better quality and cheaper), Manang Bolinto added.

Manang Esther and Manong Dennis, both Bahong farmers, appeal to the government. “The government should stop importing flowers. They should be more sympathetic to the plight of local farmers, whose livelihoods are dependent on producing flowers,” they said angrily.

“Dapat tangkilikin ng gobyerno ang sariling atin” (The government should patronize our own products), they said in Filipino. Johnny Fialen and Arthur L. Allad-iw for NORDIS / Posted by Bulatlat.com

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