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Tissue-cultured garlic to improve planting stocks


Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff Reporter

LAOAG CITY—Responding to recent developments of the garlic industry, the Department of Agriculture (DA) sees a long-term solution to improve production and boost farmers’ income through proper technology.

One of these is the development of tissue-cultured garlic, a technology that has already been proven to produce clean, virus-free and pest-resistant planting materials up to six generations.

“In order to boost productivity, our farmers only need to have an open mind,” DA Secretary Proceso Alcala said, who was in the province for a three-day visit to inaugurate several projects beneficial to several farmers and fishermen associations here. 

Mr. Alcala told farmers the department in cooperation with researchers at the Mariano Marcos State University is now in the process of developing quality planting stocks of garlic to assists farmers in the region.

To expedite the improvement of high quality planting stocks which has been identified as a major factor of low production in the last five years, DA is willing to shell out more research funds to come up with quality planting stocks the soonest possible time.

MMSU Garlic experts said the development of tissue-cultured planting stocks for garlic may take about four years if this is done in a normal process.

From 2003 to 2005, Ilocos Norte has adopted organic farming to produce tissue-cultured garlic bulbs. Four of the local varieties were produced organically namely: Cagayan, Ilocos White, Mindoro and Tan Bolter.

In 2006, a demonstration farm was put up in the province in cooperation with the local farmers and the provincial government.

However, due to small areas devoted to garlic, high cost of production, insufficient quality planting materials, unstable price due to importation and manipulation of middlemen and insufficient technology on processing to produce quality products, the garlic industry here has died down.

The spike in garlic prices could have been avoided should there have been enough local supply, DA officials said.

For the first time in the Philippine history, Alcala said the price of imported garlic went higher than the local produce.

During the last harvest season, garlic growers earned enough but traders benefitted more because they have control over the imported and locally-produced.

Citing the issue as an “eye opener”, DA is encouraging all farmers to try and adopt new technologies and practice diversified farming.

In Ilocos region and in many parts of the country, the green tops are used for pinakbet, an Ilocano delicacy.  Aside from being used as a food ingredient, garlic is used to treat wounds and cure certain ailments like toothache, skin diseases, and epilepsy. Its compounds are also believed to help prevent heart attack by preventing blood platelets from forming into blood clots.  It is a good source of vitamins and minerals.  These include calcium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, and vitamins A and C.

Garlic or “bawang” is one of the most economically important crops in the country.  Here in the Philippines, the Ilocos Region is the largest producer.


The plant produces bulb which is surrounded by sheaths and composed of thin-shelled bulblets, cloves or set, all of which are capable of forming a new plant.

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