BAGUIO CITY — Members of the Baguio City Council — through a resolution — expressed strong support to the pastoral message and call of the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baguio to stop the smuggling of vegetables to save the local farmers.

The Baguio councilors collectively approved the resolution in supporting the statement of the bishop and acknowledged that something should be done to save the local farmers.

The Council also stated that the local government is supporting the efforts of the local farmers and strongly encourage its constituents to buy locally produced vegetables.

To recall, Reverend Bishop Victor Bendico said smuggled vegetables greatly hurt the local farming industry. He stressed that the agricultural environment will always be at the losing end when smuggled vegetables which can be bought at a cheaper price flood the market.

The bishop added that such causes a drastic reduction in the buying of locally produced vegetables. He pointed out that smuggling devastates the local socio-economic atmosphere greatly based on the vegetable industry.

"Hence, we must protect our farmers and promote our local vegetable products," Bendico said.

For years, vegetable traders and farmers of Benguet and Mountain Province and nearby provinces are crying for help from government officials to stop the illegal entry of imported vegetables from other Asian countries.