Farmers in Ilocos Norte are encouraged to plant more vegetables to help increase its supply in Metro Manila.

Edwin Cariño, head of the Sustainable Development Council in Ilocos Norte, reported Thursday that talks are underway between the province of Ilocos Norte and the Department of Agriculture to organize vegetable growers here to supply lowland vegetables in Metro Manila.

“Our Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc and Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness Kristine Evangelista are closely coordinating so we could supply vegetables to consumers in Metro Manila,” he said.

Due to the series of typhoons that hit many regions in the country such as Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Bicol, Cariño said this is the right time for Ilocos farmers to expand their market outside the province.

With the agriculture department’s flagship program, “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita,” farmers here through the assistance of the provincial government may link with the program and make them become agri-entrepreneurs.

Launched last September 2019, the “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” is a collaborative project of the DA, Department of Interior and Local Government, and Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), a Government-Owned and Controlled Corporation (GOCC).

This project serves as a direct link between the farmers/fisherfolk and the consuming public.

Ilocos Norte is popularly known as the land of ‘pinakbet’, a famous Ilokano dish with a mix of stewed vegetables commonly composed of eggplant, bitter melon, okra, and tomatoes.

As an agricultural province, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte is assisting farmers by giving them farm machinery, seeds, and fertilizer subsidy to reduce farming inputs. They are also taught how to become farmer-entrepreneurs by linking them to the direct market outside the province.

Other crops being promoted in the province include garlic, shallot, corn, moringa (malunggay), tobacco, mango, and dragon fruit among others. (PNA)