With the enactments of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) in 1997, the Philippine agricultural sector has been modernizing rapidly, establishing itself as the center of the country’s economy- with a 25% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contribution and employing 505 of the labor force. However, the industry as a whole continues to exist as units of small, individually-functioning farms, most of which are producing fruits and vegetables for home consumption or as small-time alternative income source.
Vegetables as part of Filipino subsistence, be it as food or as source of livelihood cannot be underminded. All 43 kinds and 250 lesser known species of Philippine vegetables are important sources of minerals, vitamins, fiber and proteins. In the crop category, vegetable ranks second to ornamentals in terms of income generated per unit area and time. Moreover it is widely used as an intercrop for coonut and fruits trees, and as a components of other cropping systems. Ironically, per capita consumption is quite low at 39 kilograms considering that the recommended intake is 69 kilograms.
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