MANILA, Philippines — A native variety of garlic is seen raising the country's sufficiency of the commodity and competing with imports, which account for about 90 percent of supply.
The Batanes white is expected to boost local garlic production after it yielded a high of 9.3 metric tons for the second cropping in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte.
The Department of Agriculture-Ilocos Region has crafted a revival program to raise garlic sufficiency, as current supply is largely imported.
Field tests have shown that native garlic varieties can compete with imported garlic, which has been hitting a yield high of 10 to 15 MT per hectare such as in China.
The improved native garlic has shown competitive yield potential in the second cropping known to be more ideal to garlic planting.
"Two cropping of garlic per year is an economic and production potential when planted as directly seeded on Sept. 15 for the first crop and December or early January for the second crop in upland areas of Pasuquin, where there is adequate supply of irrigation water," the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) said in its study.
Garlic yield increased from 3.4 MT per hectare during the regular season to 9.3 MT.
Gross income from the improved garlic variety reached P602,400 per hectare per cropping with net income at P327,743.
The Philippines remains far from achieving garlic self-sufficiency. In 2018, the country's self-sufficiency level was only at 9.02 percent.
China, India and Hong Kong are the major suppliers of garlic to the Philippines.
SEARCA said native garlic varieties are smaller compared to the imported types that flood the market but they taste better and are more aromatic.
Ilocos is the largest garlic-producing region in the Philippines, contributing more than 65 percent to the country's total production. It also has the best comparative advantage because of its agro-climatic suitability.
However, the region experienced a decline not just in the volume of production but also in areas planted and harvested in the past years due to competition.
The downward trend in productivity is also attributed to low-yielding varieties and high post-harvest losses.
Garlic is valued in the food, pharmaceutical and even the cosmetics industry.
Other intended technology adopters are local farmers still using traditional farming practices in garlic production in Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon.