Frost damage to vegetables in Benguet manageable - mayor

ATOK, Benguet – Frost damage to vegetables here is within manageable levels and should not be a cause for alarm, the town’s mayor said Friday. Mayor Concepcion Balao made the statement to dispute reports claiming massive vegetable frost damage in Atok. Balao said that only two barangays (villages) were hit by frost, or the crystal formation of morning dew from low temperature. “The early frost occurrences are isolated," she said. Local agriculturists estimated the damage to crops - mostly potatoes – at P1 million. In 2004, some P20 million worth of vegetables were damaged by frost. Balao said she sees no supply shortage because ready-to-harvest vegetables in Atok would be sufficient for the Christmas season. Local agriculturists Cherry Sano said fighting frost, which occurs from December to March, although the construction of expensive greenhouses could minimize crop damage. She said another remedial measure is to plant early. Weather forecasters said temperature along Halsema highway is always 2 to 3 degrees lower than Baguio temperature. This means that when Baguio temperature dips to 10 degrees Celsius, it would be 7-8 degrees Celsius in Atok. - GMANews.