The Philippine Vegetable Industry: Trends, Issues and Policy Implications

The Philippine vegetable industry is undergoing a gradual restructuring mainly brought about by changing consumption patterns which in turn require changes in production and the way vegetables are handled and delivered to consumption points. These changes mean opportunities and challenges for the players in the industry. Some of them gain and some lose, depending on how they respond to these changes. Small-scale vegetable farmers in particular appear to be increasingly challenged as market requirements in terms of quality and standards become stricter.

Issues and concerns in this changing scenario of the Philippine vegetable industry are examined in this paper with the objective of identifying ways to improve its performance not only in terms of efficiency but also in terms of equity where small scale producers have the chance to compete and prosper.