Frost hits Atok, Benguet

BAGUIO CITY — Atok town in Benguet province experienced a drop in temperature early morning Friday, prompting a few of the highland vegetation in the area, including vegetables, to suffer from frost.

Farmer PJ Haight from Paoay, Atok shared photos and videos of vegetables and other plants affected by “andap” (frost) on Friday morning. He shared that this occured while the temperature dropped to 8 degrees Celsius.

He, however, said that this is a normal occurrence that farmers can manage to avoid the effects of frost.

With the start of the “andap” season in Benguet, Haight said that they are expecting a heavier occurrence of frost toward the month of February with the further drop of temperature. 

Height and northern Benguet farmers stressed that “andap” occurrences should not be used to justify price hikes of highland vegetables in the market retail. They called on markets in the lowlands not to increase prices due to occurences of frost.

Frost bite has not had any debilitating effect on vegetable farms in Northern Benguet.