BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (PIA ) - -  Officials  of the Department of Agriculture (DA) are encouraging onion farmers to plant during off – season after several onion farmers in the province  succeeded in this practice.

DA High Value  Crops Development Program (HVCDP) Director Gerald Glen Panganiban, who led the joint monitoring of onion production in Nueva Vizcaya, recently cited the positive experience of Danilo Cawagdan of Bagabag town who, like other onion farmers here, has been reaping the benefits of the off-season production.

He said Cawagdan made the risk of planting onions in between July and August last year while most of his fellow farmers usually plant their seeds in December to avoid  the threat of rains and typhoons.

“The risks were clear, and he had to watch his onions 24/7 covering them with plastic when rains came and removing the cover when the heat was suffocating,” Panganiban said.

With the practice, Cawagdan succeeded and sold at a high of P90.00 per kilo when he harvested in December. This is close to triple the regular season farm gate price that is in the range of P30-P34 a kilo.

Panganiban said Cawagdan is now confident that his income from off-season production for this year will be as high as last year’s gain.

“Like many others in surrounding communities, Cawagdan  plants in small plots because off-season production for onion is still relatively new. The experience of Cawagdan attests to the potentials of off-season production,” he said.

Panganiban’s monitoring tewam also included the DA’s  Agribusiness Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS); Agri Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD); Plant Quarantine Service of RFO II; and the Nueva Vizcaya Experiment Station (NVES). (OTB/BME/PIA NVizcaya)