No plans to regulate sale of ornamental plants — DA

Agriculture Secretary William Dar. INQUIRER file photo / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) currently has no plans to regulate the sale of ornamental plants as countless Filipinos have been turning to home gardening amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite this, Agriculture Secretary William Dar is urging plant sellers to keep their prices reasonable.

“Dapat naman, itong panahon ng pandemiya huwag mag-sasamantala iyong nagtitinda ng mga ornamental plants na iyan. Halos lahat po ng Pilipino gustong may tanim sa bahay or ornamental plants,” Dar said Monday in a televised Laging Handa Public Briefing.

(It is just fitting that during this time of pandemic, sellers of ornamental plants should not take advantage. Most Filipinos want to have ornamental plants in their home.)

“Wala pa kaming balak na magregulate niyan (pero) sana makitulong itong mga nag-nenegosyo sa ornamental plants,” he added.

(We do not have plans to regulate those, but of course those businesses selling ornamental plants should cooperate.)

The imposition of the world’s longest coronavirus lockdown in the Philippines gave birth to a wave of Filipinos who have kept themselves busy by cultivating plants at home and finding new ornamentals for their collections. But the craze was marred with incidents of profiteering from people who impose irregular pricing of plants and pots.

JPV