BATAC CITY – Exciting and fun-filled activities featuring the aromatic flavor of the Ilocos garlic renewed interest of farmers and entrepreneurs to plant more and improve their products to a wider market.
Highlighting the significance of garlic for food and medicine, the garlic festival opened on Thursday at the Mariano Marcos State University Student Center, gathering key players from public and private institutions including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Taiwan Technical Mission in the Philippines, to reinvigorate the garlic industry in Ilocos Norte, which remains as the top producer in the country.
As a garlic farmer for decades in Laoag City, Angelo Mateo, 51, said he is eager to learn more about the latest technology in garlic production to improve his yield
“I have been planting garlic for a long time and I can say that it is very rewarding,” Mateo told the Philippine News Agency as the city of Laoag joined 13 other garlic producing local government units in the province to showcase their garlic products, which include fresh garlic, pickled garlic, garlic-flavored chichacorn, gourmet salt with garlic, powdered garlic, and many more.
Japan’s famous black garlic and Taiwan’s Harmonous, Block Buster, and Hanbao garlic varieties are featured in the same event for local farmers to explore their potential to boost the industry.
“I hope this event will highlight the importance of the garlic industry in Ilocos Norte,” said Lawyer Pancho Jose, chief of staff of Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc and agriculture project consultant who represented the governor as keynote speaker during the opening of the garlic festival.
Latest report from the Department of Agriculture shows that Ilocos Norte remains as the top producer of garlic, accounting for 74 percent with an average production of 4,376 metric tons annually.
Ilocos Norte plans to expand its garlic cultivation area to improve yield of at least five tons per hectare, and based on latest validation trial, Dr. Dionicio Bucao, director of the MMSU Research Directorate said “the target yield can even surpass up to 10 tons per hectare” given the right technology intervention.
The Ilocos Norte government in collaboration with the MMSU have been aiding garlic farmers in producing healthier and bigger garlic bulbs by using tissue cultured planting materials, which has higher survival rate, and improving soil health.
A garlic research and development center was also established in MMSU to provide science and technology-based interventions to optimize the maximum benefits to farmers and entrepreneurs from production to marketing of products.