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Filipino farmers leave crops to rot as fuel prices drive up cost of harvest

Filipino farmers like Romeo Wagayan have ⁠been left with little choice ⁠but to let their vegetables rot in the ⁠field rather than sell them at…

By Samantha Johnson / April 7, 2026

Filipino farmers like Romeo Wagayan have ⁠been left with little choice ⁠but to let their vegetables rot in the ⁠field rather than sell them at a loss, as rising oil prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East drive up the cost of harvesting, labour and transport.

“There’s nothing we can do,” said Wagayan, a 57-year-old vegetable farmer in the northern Philippine province of Benguet.

“If we harvest ‌it, our losses only increase because of labour, transportation and packing costs. We don’t earn anything from it. That’s why we decided not to harvest at all.”

If we harvest ‌it, our losses only increase because of labour, transportation and packing costs

Romeo Wagayan, a vegetable farmer
Soaring costs caused by the Middle East war are piling pressure on Filipino farmers, with the Southeast Asian archipelago particularly vulnerable to oil shocks because of its heavy reliance on imported fuel.

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Wagayan’s experience mirrors the challenges faced by many highland farmers, according to Agot Balanoy, an adviser at La Trinidad’s vegetable trading hub.

Farmers harvest potatoes at a farm in Atok, Benguet, Philippines, on March 31. Photo: Reuters
Farmers harvest potatoes at a farm in Atok, Benguet, Philippines, on March 31. Photo: Reuters

A number of growers are halting harvests as buyers pull out as a result of weak demand and surging costs.

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Balanoy said some buyers were cancelling or limiting purchases, reflecting a shift in consumer behaviour as households grappling with soaring inflation cut back on vegetables and opt instead for cheaper, filling alternatives such as instant noodles.

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