Universal Robina Corp (URC) said it has distributed some 135 tons of potato seed tubers to help hundreds of farmers in Benguet and Mountain Province grow their harvests and income.
In a statement, URC said that four container vans containing 108 tons of potatoes were distributed in March to 268 farmers, while another 27 tons were given to 67 farmers, or a total of 335 beneficiaries.
The seedlings are expected to yield 1,350 tons of potatoes in four months, and up to 12,000 tons in 12 months or four planting cycles, URC said. Current price of table potatoes is between 70 and 120 pesos per kilo.
All 335 farmers are members of the United Potato Producers of Benguet and Mountain Province Inc.
The organization has so far received over 333 tons, estimated to be worth around 20 million pesos, since 2019.
The latest distribution is the second phase of URC’s Sustainable Potato Program, which aims to help potato farmers increase their yields, stabilize prices of highland vegetables, and help the national potato industry.
“This program aims to contribute to the national potato industry by making an impact in the multiplication and distribution of potato seeds and improving farmers' livelihood through collaboration with relevant institutions to provide opportunities for capacity building of farmers,” said URC vice president for Global Procurement, Vicky Yap.
The company is doing this with the help of the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Plant Industry.
DA-BPI Director Gerald Glenn Panganiban described the program as a “big brother-small brother partnership between the private sector, the government and the farmers, and hopes for a bountiful harvest of the crop”.
Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas urged those benefiting from URC’s program to share their gains with other farmers.
Cameron Odsey, the DA’s executive director in the Cordillera Autonomous Region, acknowledged URC’s initiative to help farmers get access to quality planting materials.
He said he hopes the program would encourage the youth to return to farming.
“We have very much potential (in agriculture) for the youth. We look forward to them going back to their communities and being experts in agriculture,” he said, citing in particular Benguet State University’s five agriculture student scholars being assisted by the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, a sister company of URC.