ATOK, Benguet — A municipal councilor has welcomed the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) review of policy proposals aimed at improving the welfare of vegetable farmers in Benguet and other highland farming areas.

Municipal Councilor Kelly Denn Venancio Tomas said the DA is evaluating several recommendations contained in a position paper transmitted to the agency by Senator Francis Pangilinan.

According to Tomas, the proposals seek to strengthen protections for local vegetable growers and improve the competitiveness of the highland agriculture sector.

Among the measures under review are an immediate moratorium on imports of highland vegetables and the creation of a dedicated National Banner Program for highland agriculture.

The DA is also studying proposals to institutionalize a university-led data analytics center and establish strategic logistics and consolidation hubs to improve the distribution and marketing of vegetables.

Tomas said the proposed reforms would benefit not only farmers in Benguet and the Cordillera region but also highland agricultural communities in Region I, Cebu, Negros, Bukidnon, Northern Mindanao and Palawan.

She described the DA’s evaluation of the proposals as a positive step toward protecting farmers’ livelihoods, strengthening local food production, and advancing food security.