Because there is no reliable inventory of agricultural production in this country, controversies on supply and prices of basic commodities including sugar and rice usually boil down to one camp’s word against another. The issues end up unresolved, and no one gets indicted for hoarding or price manipulation.

The latest controversy is over Indian oil sardine or tamban, whose supply is running out, according to the canned sardine association. On the other hand, Ang Pamalakaya or the National Federation of Small Fisherfolk Organizations in the Philippines said the canneries are fabricating the tamban shortage to increase retail prices and push for large fishing vessels to enter municipal waters, which are reserved for marginal fishing.

Meanwhile, amid reports of tight garlic supply, video footage in a news report on Tuesday showed producers of native garlic in Batanes lamenting their inability to sell tons of their harvest. The native variety is superior in flavor to the imports mostly from Taiwan, and deservedly more expensive. It would be unconscionable to flood the market with cheap imports when tons of local produce grown by marginal farmers could end up rotting in warehouses. There is a similar problem with cabbage grown in Benguet.

As unfortunate as the situation was the reaction of the Department of Agriculture. DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, in a radio interview, chided the garlic and cabbage farmers for what he said was their lack of foresight and market assessment to prevent overproduction.

So is there a garlic shortage or overproduction? Does the country have to rely on imports to ensure stable supply when there is domestic overproduction? And shouldn’t the DA and local government units provide the needed study so marginal farmers can plan their production, as well as provide assistance in bringing the crops to the market?

In the case of tamban, the DA says the country will be sardine-sufficient for the rest of the year. What about galunggong or round scad? President Marcos, during his state visit to Indonesia, said he was “obsessed” with the fact that the Philippines has to import what used to be referred to as the poor Filipino’s fish. He considered this unacceptable, he said.

The Philippines imports galunggong from China, Taiwan and Vietnam. How can they produce more galunggong than the Philippines? With the fish canneries’ complaint, will the country also have to import sardines? Perhaps with the President obsessing over the problem, there will be proper emphasis on boosting domestic fisheries production rather than relying on imports.

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