Distraught Benguet farmers bat for nat’l, provincial anti-smuggling task forces revival

LA TRINIDAD,  Benguet — Benguet farmers are pushing for the revival of anti-smuggling task forces at the national and provincial levels to prevent the continued entry of smuggled vegetables, especially carrots, into the Philippine market.

The call was made amid reports by local vegetable dealers that smuggled carrots have been flooding the market causing prices to slide down to P1 a kilo, eventually forcing local producers in Benguet to just giving out their produce or leaving them to rot in their farms.

Benguet-based Augusta Balanoy, speaking in behalf of the League of Associations at the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Areas Inc., called on the government to revive the task forces to look after the ground situation in markets around the country. 

“At least may maninita sa palengke para distributors of smuggled goods are not that garapal," Balanoy said.

Late December, the Benguet vegetable produce, normally in demand during Yuletide season, saw a huge slump in demand after the market was flooded by “cheaper, bigger and shelf-life lingering” but smuggled vegetables.

Aside from forcing them to give out their produce for free or leave them rotting at their farms in Northern Benguet, farmers were dismayed by the flagrant fraud they discovered with smuggled vegetables in various markets around the country marked “ABC Baguio” to conceal the apparent smuggling.

Balanoy said that even as early as late July, volumes of smuggled carrots, broccoli and cauliflowers have been unloaded in various ports. 

“Nothing happened even if we sought the agriculture department’s intercession,” she decried.

According to Balanoy, anti-smuggling task forces have alleviated their plight during the Arroyo presidency. 

"There is a need to revive these task forces, to include government and private stakeholders, to stop the flagrant unloading and selling of smuggled vegetables," the Benguet farmer’s group representative said. 

She also claimed that the government must be on its toes because smuggled vegetables are being sold on live streaming and via online platforms. 

“And it seems nobody cares,”  Balanoy concluded.