DUE TO the wide farming areas and temperate weather suitable for producing highland vegetables, Benguet contributed 65 percent to the total crop production in the Cordillera region.
In the first semester of the year, the Philippine Statistics Authority in the Cordillera stated that crop production in the region increased by 5,790 metric tons in 2018 compared to the 229,629.8 MT during the same period in 2017.
Vegetables accounted for the bulk, at 177,559.7 metric tons, followed by non-food and industrial commercial crops (NFICCs) and fruit crops.
Kalinga accounted for 13.2 percent of the total crop production followed by Abra with 6.3 percent.
Crop production in Benguet province, however, decreased by 1.4 percent during the first semester of the year compared to the 155,554-metric-ton output in 2017.
The top three crops produced by the province were cabbage with 25.4 percent or 38,925 metric tons followed by potato with 18.7 and carrots with 11.9 percent.
The province was the top producer in the Cordillera for several crops including cabbage with 93.2 percent of the regional cabbage production, white potato with 90.10 percent, carrots with 94.2 percent and 97.78 percent for chayote.
Ifugao, Apayao and Mountain Province contributed 5.9, five, and 4.6 percent, respectively.
PSA added out of the crop production in the region, cabbage was largely produced with 41,733.6 metric ton, potato followed with 31,744 MT, sugarcane with 28,806.8 MT while carrots and chayote with 19,339.4 MT and 16,540 MT.
Per province, Ifugao produce 13,772 MT of crops, in the province production increased by 14.5 percent. Top three crops produced in the province composed of cassava, banana and camote.
Kalinga produced 30,986 MT which increased by 21 percent with sugarcane, banana and coffee as the top produce.
Kalinga also topped the region’s production of sugarcane with 97.6 percent.
Mountain Province produced 10,712.6 MT during the first semester of 2018. The province serve as second top producer for white potato, cabbage and carrots.
Abra produced 14,820.8 MT, and was the top bananas producer in the region with 38.4 percent.
Apayao on the other hand produced 11,815 in the first semester which increased by 8.7 percent and was the top cassava producer with 61.1 percent.