La Union Opens P1.69-M Greenhouse Nursery to Strengthen High-Value Crop Production
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The Province of La Union is set to enhance its production of high-value crops following the completion of a PHP1.69 million greenhouse nursery in the municipality of Balaoan, a facility expected to provide farmers with quality planting materials and support sustainable agricultural development.
Funded by the Department of Agriculture (DA), the modern greenhouse nursery measures 15 meters by 13.6 meters and is capable of producing 24,576 vegetable seedlings using 128-hole seedling trays or 20,160 seedlings in 105-hole trays. It also has the capacity to accommodate fruit tree seedlings, depending on their size.
According to the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), the nursery will primarily be used to propagate coffee and cacao seedlings, while also serving as a production center for vegetable and other fruit tree planting materials.
Provincial Supervising Administrative Officer Justin Marbella said the facility will play a vital role in ensuring a stable supply of healthy, high-quality, and pest- and disease-resistant seedlings for local farmers, contributing to increased agricultural productivity and long-term sustainability in the province.
The greenhouse nursery was formally turned over to the Provincial Government of La Union on June 25, marking another milestone in the province's continuing efforts to modernize its agriculture sector.
The new facility builds on previous initiatives aimed at strengthening La Union's coffee and cacao industries. In 2023, the province partnered with the Philippine Coffee Advancement and Farm Enterprise (PhilCAFE) and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to establish a Robusta Coffee Clonal Garden and a Scion Grove dedicated to cacao production.
Further boosting the province's coffee development program, the Bureau of Plant Industry officially recognized the Robusta Coffee Clonal Garden as a Certified Coffee Mother Trees Site in July 2024, affirming its compliance with national standards for producing quality planting materials.
In August 2024, the province also established a Coffee Planting Materials Nursery, funded by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), to propagate asexual coffee planting materials using scions sourced from the accredited clonal garden.
Provincial officials believe the greenhouse nursery will significantly improve the availability of superior planting materials, helping farmers increase yields, diversify crop production, and strengthen La Union's position as a growing hub for high-value agricultural commodities.
NPO NEWS TEAM | PNA-PR
