SAN MATEO | 7K hectares of monggo farms now available in Isabela; Monggo becomes more profitable than rice

Thousands of farmers in this major rice-producing town ventured into monggo farming as additional income source during summer. Vice Mayor Roberto Agcaoili said after harvest season, most of the rice fields here are planted with monggo, locally known as balatong, which is grown shortly before the onset of the summer season when the soil still holds substantial moisture. He said the town has been planting monggo as an alternative crop for 10 years now where farmers can produce an average of one ton per hectare of shelled monggo. “Seeing its good profit it can give to farmers, we encouraged more farmers to make use of their idle time for monggo planting especially during the dry season,” Agcaoili said, adding that the town now has more than 7,000 hectares of monggo farms. He said farmers here found monggo farming more profitable than rice as they can able to harvest monggo three to four times per cropping. Besides its economic value, Agcaoili added that monggo is one of the most nutritious foods and helps enhance the natural fertility of the soil by the nitrogen-fixing bacteria present in the root system of the leguminous crop. (ALM/MGE/PIA-2 Isabela)

Monggo planting offers viable income for Isabela farmers by Merlito G. Edale Jr. (May 12, 2018); http://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1007755
From Cabatuan, we proceeded to San Mateo to make a courtesy call on Mayor Crispina Agcaoili and Vice Mayor Roberto Agcaoili at the Municipal Hall of San Mateo. The couple highlighted the importance of monggo (mung beans) in the economy of San Mateo. Considered “the black gold” of San Mateo, monggo is one of the major produce of the agricultural municipality aside from rice and corn. San Mateo is not just the Monggo Capital of the Philippines but also the No. 1 producer of rice in Cagayan Valley, accounting for a significant production of black rice and brown rice. Mayor Agcaoili also proudly announced that San Mateo now produces a lot of monggo products, including monggo flour, monggo grits, monggo noodles, monggo coffee and delicacies like monggo polvoron and monggo chips. (Isabela Food Tour (Part 3): Serkele, Adobong Palaka, Moriecos, Monggo, Nutritious Rice and a Gourmet Dinner; July 11, 2014 12:02 PM by: Dolly Dy-Zulueta; flavorsoflife.com.ph/?p=4193)