BANI, Pangasinan – The municipal government here is protecting watermelon farmers from scrupulous buyers by organizing them into associations and accrediting buyers.

During the opening of the Pakwan (watermelon) Festival on Saturday, Vice Mayor Gwen Palafox-Yamamoto said some buyers engage in schemes that disadvantage farmers, prompting local action.

“They would transact with the farmers and give down payment but it would take them long time to get the product and they will wait for the prices to go down before they get the watermelon products. Our farmers would not sell it to others because they honor their word, but we need to take action against this scheme,” she said in Filipino.

She said farmers are now being grouped into associations and trained, while buyers are required to undergo accreditation to ensure accountability.

Yamamoto said the town now has around 800 to 1,000 watermelon farmers from seven barangays, a sharp increase from just five to 10 farmers in 1986 when watermelon planting began.

“We have produced an estimated 4,000 metric tons of watermelon in 2025,” she said.

Most of the produce is shipped outside Pangasinan, including Manila, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, and Tagaytay.

“From the very beginning, we have been supporting our farmers. We are giving additional help through farm inputs, especially now that our fertilizers are expensive. So what we are doing is, we are providing subsidies. We are guiding them until they harvest properly,” she said.