Stephen Langpawen from Barangay Balili in Mankayan municipality, Benguet has been planting vegetables since he was young. He is among those whose crops are affected by frost, referred locally as andap, brought about by the cold season.
“Wala na eh, malulugi na, kasi kapag ganitong season kapag nasira wala na,” Langpawen, 40, said.
(“We’ll suffer losses for sure because in this type of a season, if the crops die, you’re done for.”)
According to the Municipal Agriculture Office of Mangkayan, “andap” is the formation of ice crystals on plants during cold weather. It was reported that temperatures in the area dipped to 11°C early Mon morning, Jan 9, the lowest so far since Dec 2016.
Officials said they will assist affected farmers by giving them seedlings and farm equipment.
Potatoes and cabbages are the most vulnerable to ice-crystal formation, more than carrots and other vegetables.
Barangay Balili, located more than 2,000 meters above sea level, is among the most affected by frost because of its elevation.
Meanwhile, residents of Atok municipality have started noticing the frosting since the weekend. No crop damage has been reported yet.
“This January pa lang nag-start yung frost, pero so far, wala pa namang mga damages sa mga crops,” Atok Municipal Agricultural Officer Cherry Sano said.
Frost is still expected to occur until next month, but farmers are hoping their crops will not be affected. —Angelyn Valencia, ABS-CBN News
This story first appeared on ABS-CBN News Online and is republished with permission.
