PGBh to boost Ubi industry in Bohol

The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) has been determined to boost the Ubi industry in the province.
Dr. Larry M. Pamugas, Officer-In-Charge, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) during the special meeting of Bohol Ubi Growers Association (BUGA) in his office at the capitol last Wednesday said that a total of 25,294 kilos of Ubi planting materials worth P2.5M has been procured by the PGBh from the 2019 budget for Ubi dispersal.
Dr. Pamugas bared that the Las Suerta’s Fruit Trees Nursery, the supplier that based in Don Carlos, Bukidnon had delivered last Wednesday the 12,167 kilos of Ubi tubers and the remaining 13,127 kilos will be delivered momentarily.
Pamugas said that Gov. Art C. Yap is determined to boost the Ubi industry in Bohol.
He said the Ubi planting materials would be given to the members of BUGA and during harvesting time they have to return back to the provincial government the Ubi tubers produced equivalent to the number of kilos of the planting materials they acquired.
The OIC-OPA added that a subsidy of organic fertilizer will be given to the Ubi grower who could plant 1,000 kilos or above of Ubi.
Pamugas urged the Boholano farmers to engage in Ubi farming because it entails low production cost compared to the production cost of planting rice.
According to Rufa Ugay, High Value Commercial Crop Development Program (HVCCP) Coordinator, Crops and Production Division, OPA said that in one hectare of land area there are about 3,200 kilos of Ubi tubers could be planted at 10 setts per kilo of planting material.
Gertrudes Fuentes, chief- Crops and Productivity Division –OPA, bared that the tons of Ubi planting materials have been stocked at the vacated old ancestral house of Esmeraldo “Ondoy” Maligsa, the president of BUGA and at his garage in Pandol, Corella.
Fuentes and Maligsa urged the Ubi growers to get the planting materials enough for their planted areas to decongest the stocked areas so as to accommodate for another delivery.
They encouraged them to plant Ubi of at least ¼ of a hectare while they also stressed that most of the planting materials will be planted at the identified Ubi Demo Farm in Pandol, Corella.
Dr. Pamugas said that with this program Gov. Yap is expecting that on the next Ubi Festival come January more Ubi tubers will be produced and displayed for selling.
At present, the Boholano farmers could not answer the demands of big volumes of Ubi tubers from traders because the production is low.
It may be recalled that on July 1, 2019, on his second day of service as governor, Yap invited Philip Young, a trader based in Manila to attend for an investment forum together with the BUGA officers, Municipal Agriculturists/Municipal Agricultural Officers, HVCC Technicians and division chiefs of OPA held at the Panda Tea and Garden, Dao, Tagbilaran City.
In the forum, Young could not get the assurance from the Ubi growers when he asked them if they can supply his demands of tons of kilos of Ubi at P30 per kilo.
BUGA president Maligsa said that aside from being lack of Ubi production the price is very low.
He said the production cost of Ubi is P26 per hill that would usually produce at least one kilo. So if the buying price ofYoung is P30 only P4 per kilo would go to the farmers which is unfair on their part even though that the orders are in volume.
Last 20th Ubi Festival on January 28-31, 2020 held at the Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center (BPAC) Ground, Dao, Tagbilaran City, the Ubi Kinampay was sold at P80, Baligonhon (P70), and P60/kilo for all the white varieties of Ubi.
However, Maligsa explained that the prices can be lowered if the orders or demands are in big volume but not less than P40/kilo. (Atoy Cosap)

UBI PLANTING MATERIALS. The tons of kilos of Ubi planting materials loaded on a 10-wheeler truck (left photo) from Las Suerta’s Fruit Trees Nursery in Don Carlos, Bukidnon, the supplier, last Wednesday are ready to unload for stocking at the garage owned by Esmeraldo Maligsa, Ubi growers president, in Pandol, Corella while Dr. Larry Pamugas (right photo) explains to the Ubi growers on how to acquire the planting materials and expand the planting areas of Ubi in Bohol. Foto: GERTRUDES FUENTES-OPA