LAOAG CITY – At least three farmers associations in Dingras, Ilocos Norte are making their first millions through their sales of mungbean or monggo which is currently in demand in the market.

During the last harvest season, around 100 mungbean farmers in Barangays Barong and Lanas were able to harvest nearly 61 tons of mungbean with a gross sale of P3.8 million.

The amount was personally handed to them in cash by the management of Nutridense Food Manufacturing Corporation which entered into a three-year memorandum of agreement with three farmers associations namely: CSDCS (Casalaysayan, Segundo, Dancel, Camiring and Soriano) Farmers Association Inc., Lanas Timpuyog Farmers Association Inc. and the United Barong Farmers Association.

Pegged at P64 per kilo, farmers earned additional P9 a kilo from Nutridense compared to the prevailing market price of P55 per kilo from other traders.

According to Mark Ariel Agresor, the project leader of the mungbean production in Ilocos Norte, the success of the mungbean farmers in Dingras town is a product of public-private partnership and collaboration of various stakeholders to alleviate poverty as promised by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in his previous state of the nation addresses.

It is also a part of the continuing research for the development program of the DA to assist rice-based farming communities to increase their income through the planting of value-adding commodities, aside from rice.

With a favorable climate for mungbean production in Dingras town, farmers here are able to grow their income by harvesting rice during the first and second cropping seasons and mungbean on the third cropping season annually.

“Initially, our farmers were hesitant but as we allow them to get involved in refining the suited technology for them, we were able to get their support -- from land preparation, production up to marketing their produce,” said Agresor.