Tons of tomatoes wasted

Summary

Farmers in Laguna, Philippines, are facing a massive oversupply of tomatoes, with at least 10 tons left to rot due to market saturation and low prices. After typhoon autumn destroyed crops in Northern Luzon, traders flooded local markets, offering minimal returns to farmers. Tomatoes that once sold for 60 pesos a kilo are now bought for as low as 2.50 pesos. As a result, farmers are left with no choice but to discard or give away their produce. Efforts to process the surplus into products like tomato sauce and pesto are being considered, but many call for more support to help farmers process their crops themselves.

Takeaways

• 😀 Local farmers in Laguna, Philippines, are discarding large quantities of tomatoes due to an oversupply and rejection by traders.
• 😀 Over 10 tons of tomatoes have been left to rot in barangays like San Antonio, Calia, due to market saturation.
• 😀 Farmers were not expecting such an oversupply, especially after Typhoon Agaton damaged crops in northern Luzon.
• 😀 Farmers are choosing not to harvest tomatoes to avoid further losses, leading to produce rotting in the fields.
• 😀 Tomatoes are being sold at drastically low prices, with good-sized tomatoes dropping from 60 pesos per kilo to just 5 pesos.
• 😀 The oversupply has resulted in a significant loss for farmers, with the local government estimating a financial loss of 4 to 5 million pesos.
• 😀 Traders are offering very low prices for tomatoes, even though the retail price remains high at 80 pesos per kilo in the market.
• 😀 Some farmers are giving away tomatoes to avoid total loss, but most of the produce is still going to waste.
• 😀 The Municipal Agriculture Office is exploring ways to process the surplus tomatoes into products like sauce or pesto to reduce waste.
• 😀 There is a suggestion that the government should help farmers learn how to process tomatoes themselves instead of relying solely on external processing solutions.

Q & A

Why were the farmers in Laguna discarding their tomatoes?

Farmers in Laguna were discarding their tomatoes due to an oversupply caused by rejected harvests. The oversupply was exacerbated by markets in Divisoria, Balintawak, and Rizal becoming saturated, leading to traders returning the goods back to the farmers.

How much tomato produce was wasted in Laguna?

At least 10 tons of tomatoes were wasted in Laguna due to the oversupply.

What was the financial impact of the tomato oversupply on farmers?

The oversupply resulted in a loss of 4 to 5 million pesos for the farmers in Laguna.

What were the causes behind the oversupply of tomatoes in Laguna?

The oversupply occurred after traders rejected part of the harvest. Additionally, Typhoon Autumn had previously ravaged crops in northern Luzon, further contributing to the unexpected surplus.

How were the prices of tomatoes affected by the oversupply?

Due to the oversupply, traders offered much lower prices for tomatoes. Good-sized tomatoes were bought for 5 pesos per kilo, while medium-sized ones were bought for 2.50 pesos per kilo, a significant drop from their usual price of 45 pesos per kilo.

What strategies are being proposed to address the oversupply of tomatoes?

The Municipal Agriculture Office is considering processing the tomatoes into products like tomato sauce or sun-dried tomato pesto. Additionally, some believe the government should teach farmers how to process these products themselves.

Why did the farmers allow their tomatoes to rot instead of harvesting them?

Farmers chose to let their tomatoes rot because paying pickers to harvest the tomatoes would result in further financial losses, given the significantly lower prices offered by traders.

What efforts are being made to support the farmers in Laguna?

The Municipal Agriculture Office is providing loans, fertilizers, and seeds to farmers. They are also exploring ways to process the oversupplied tomatoes into other products to help recover losses.

How are local residents reacting to the oversupply of tomatoes?

Some residents are taking advantage of the situation by collecting the discarded tomatoes, with some even receiving free tomatoes from farmers who are unable to sell them.

What do farmers believe about the pricing of tomatoes despite the oversupply?

Farmers are frustrated because they believe that the retail price of tomatoes remains high (80 pesos per kilo), but they are being offered very low prices by traders, which they feel is unfair.