SAN JOSE, Antique – The Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas (DA-6) distributed garlic seeds to 15 farmers in the province who have undergone training on garlic production during the People’s Day at the Provincial Capitol.
Provincial agriculturist Nicolasito Calawag on Thursday said the farmers who received the native garlic seed as planting materials on Nov. 19 attended the two-day training conducted by the DA-6 here last Oct. 24-25.
The garlic and fertilizers were given for free to the farmers,” Calawag added.
“The farmer-beneficiaries were from the towns of Patnongon, San Jose de Buenavista, Sibalom, and San Remigio,” he said.
He added the DA-6 under its High-Value Crops Program, provided a total of 1,500 kilos of garlic seeds valued at around P300,000 from Batanes.
“The garlic seeds were given as part of their starter kit,” Calawag said, adding it would be enough as planting material for a total of four-hectare rain-fed area on the identified municipalities.
He said the farmers also received a total of 15 bags of fertilizers.
“With the provision of the planting materials and fertilizers this would then encourage our farmers to engage in garlic propagation,” Calawag said, adding a hectare of agricultural land could produce eight to 10 tons of garlic.
“The current market price of a kilo of garlic is about 80 pesos to 100 pesos,” he said.
The seed distribution was also participated by Gov. Rhodora Cadiao and Vice Gov. Edgar Denosta.
Calawag said producing garlic is a good source of livelihood that can be harvested after 90 to 120 days.(With a report from PNA/PN)
