An excess supply of squash in the municipality of Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija is anticipated to go to waste due to sluggish sales and plummeting prices.
Local households are now storing an overwhelming amount of squash, with an estimated 50 to 100 squash per household in Barangay Mabitang, Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija.
The simultaneous harvest of squash by farmers has resulted in a lack of buyers, leading to a drop in prices ranging from P3 to P5 per kilogram.
Rey and Felipa Esteban, a married couple, are among those struggling with the surplus. They find themselves with an abundance of squash that they can only consume, unable to sell any.
"Inu-ukot ukot na lang po namin ['yung buto ng kalabasa] para matikman naman namin 'yung pinaghirapan namin. 'Yung gastos po namin sa [pagtatanim sa isang ektarya] ay humigit kumulang P40,000 po mahigit, nabili lang po ['yung kalabasa] ng kwatro, tres," Rey Esteban shared.
"Sana matulong naman kami ng gobyerno, kapag ganyang nagkakabulukan ang aming mga gulay, hindi na po kami natutulungan ng gobyerno," he added.
Meanwhile, Mang Ver Salas, who owns nearly 2 hectares of farmland, has already harvested his squash despite the low prices.
He fears that his crops may be destroyed by upcoming typhoons. This does not include the additional hectares planted by his farmers, which he invested capital in.
At the current price of P3 to P5 per kilogram, they claim to be at a significant loss. They have appealed to the government, particularly the Department of Agriculture, for assistance.
Each hectare of squash cultivation requires an investment of P40,000 to P50,000. Consequently, a ton of squash yields a mere P5,000 pesos in revenue, causing significant financial losses even before factoring in the cost of capital.
Similar to the oversupply of tomatoes and ginger, which resulted in losses for farmers, these squash growers are now hoping that the Department of Agriculture, through the Kadiwa program, will come to their rescue.
