ATOK, Benguet-- A local legislator of the municipality of Atok, Benguet who is also the organizer of an initiative in helping vegetable farmers of the locality to dispose their produce has called on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to defer and reconsider its plan to import 6,000 metric tons of carrots.

Atok Councilor Kelly Denn Venancio Tomas, the brain behind the Project UBBO or United Buying and Bayanihan Operations, issued a statement following the recent announcement of DA's plan of importing carrots from other countries as a so-called measure to address high market prices. Tomas urged the national government to pause the process and provide a transparent justification to the highland agricultural sector.

The councilor is seeking a formal dialogue with stakeholders before any implementation begins.

Tomas challenged the logic of the importation by pointing out that a previous attempt to import carrots failed to lower retail prices in Metro Manila, which currently range from 80 to 190 pesos per kilo.

Tomas noted that while retail prices remain high, farm gate prices for local growers are depressed. This suggests that middlemen and importers are absorbing the profits while both consumers and local farmers continue to face financial difficulties. She stressed that the local agricultural sector deserves access to the empirical data and specific reasons justifying such a large volume of imports.

Tomas argued that DA should prove there is a genuine deficit in local harvests that cannot be met by domestic production. The councilor also suggested that if the imports are tied to international trade agreements, the government should first exhaust all legal remedies to defer the shipment.

She also questioned the necessity of the move by noting that carrots are not a staple food like rice and that a temporary shortage would not be life-threatening. The councilor expressed concern that local farmers and their families are being sacrificed for a policy that does not guarantee cheaper food for the public. The statement claimed that the decision was made without consulting farmers, civil society organizations, or the academic community.

Tomas said that importation should not be the default response to market fluctuations. The councilor and Benguet agricultural stakeholders are asking the department to address the concerns and find pro-Filipino solutions that ensure fair prices for farmers and affordable vegetables for consumers without relying on foreign imports.