City of San Fernando, Pampanga — The Department of Agriculture's Regional Field Office 3 (DA RFO 3) convened stakeholders in the lowland vegetable and legume industry for a meeting last 26 June at the DA RFO III Training Room.

The High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) led the discussions, focusing on the current state of production and planting of vegetables like ampalaya (bitter gourd), talong (eggplant), kalabasa (squash), sitaw (string beans), and kamatis (tomatoes), as well as legumes such as peanuts and mongo in Central Luzon.

Dr. Arthur D. Dayrit, RTD for Operations, Extension and AMAD, emphasized the need to consider various aspects of the agricultural value chain, including production, processing, and post-harvest handling. He also highlighted the issue of excessive vegetable production leading to low farmgate prices.

Representatives from Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Tarlac provinces participated in the meeting, along with provincial focal persons for the HVCDP which include Nelita K. Abordo (Aurora), Elizer P. Liggayu (Bataan), Judith U. Mateo (Bulacan), Marlon G. Aleman Jr. (Nueva Ecija), Engr. Jomar P. Gomez (Pampanga), and Michell B. Bainob (Tarlac).