Makilala Demo Farm! Ilocos Garlic Grows In Mindanao Island

Two months after a group of Ilocano Garlic farmers from San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte established a demonstration farm in San Nicolas, San Vicente, Makilala Cotabato, there are positive indicators of success in growing this highly-imported commodity in the vast lands of Cotabato and Mindanao.
Yesterday, after a meeting with farmers in my hmetown, Mlang for the Soybeans, Sorghum, Bulb Onion and Garlic Projects, I visited the Garlic Demo Farm in the highway-side property owned by my brother, Patricio.
The Garlic and Onion Demo Farms were established by Vetmate Farma Corp., a company owned by my friend, German Panghulan, who invested a sizable amount of money just to try growing Garlic and Onion in Cotabato.
At two months, the Ilocos Garlic showed that it grows in the soil and climate of Mindanao, even if the plant was not in its most ideal form because of the rains.
Shortly after the Garlic was planted in the 2-hectare Demo Farm on Oct. 17, heavy rains fell stunting the growth of the plants while boosting the growth of weeds.
After the rains, a massive hand-weeding operation was conducted by workers hired by Vetmate Farma Corp.
With the urgent interventions, the Garlic was saved and with the application of fertilizer and spraying the plants with fungicide, there was a marked recovery.
Yesterday, I discovered that the cloves were starting to develop at 2 months old and I expect these to grow larger in size by the time of harvest sometime in January next year.
The success of this project is very critical because Mindanao has vast land and if it is proven that Garlic could be grown in the island, our national dependence on imported Garlic could finally be addressed.
Besides, Philippine Local Garlic Varieties are far superior in aroma and quality than the large but tasteless and bland imported Garlic from China.

#LetsGrowOurOwn!
#GarlicSufficiencyProgram!