Talavera, Nueva Ecija and its flourishing ‘Gulayan sa Barangay’ program

TALAVERA, Nueva Ecija – A government vegetable gardening program spared residents of this first-class municipality from skyrocketing vegetable prices now plaguing Luzon, a ranking agriculture official said.

Mercy Pabula, Talavera’s municipal agriculture officer, said almost all households have backyards farms under the town’s Gulayan sa Barangay and Gulayan sa Paaralan program.

The “gulayan (vegetable)” program encourages all residents to make vegetable gardening a lifestyle. Participants grow all kinds of vegetables in open backyards or in containers.

“Residents have plots devoted to eggplants and okra,” Pabula said.

All 53 barangays have also developed areas for vegetable gardens, including vacant spaces and road shoulders.

Pabula said Talavera has been proclaimed as Nueva Ecija’s vegetable basket through a provincial board resolution.

The spike in prices have also benefited farmers, she added.

Nueva Ecija last week hosted the Go Gulay Field Day organized by hybrid vegetable seed producer SeedWorks Philippines.

“We have consistently highlighted the advantages of hybrid crops that are high-yielding, highly tolerant to plant diseases, and resilient to adverse weather conditions with fruits that are of highest quality for the discerning consumers. We agree with the industry sentiment that sustainability is most crucial these times,” said Simeon Bautista, SeedWorks Philippines – North Luzon 

gsg