A.     Agriculture

Agriculture is a major industry in the municipality. An approximate land area of 1,300 hectares or 47.44 percent is devoted to agriculture.

Crop Production

Rice, corn, vegetables and root crops are the leading agricultural products/crops in Vigan. About 1,017 hectares were planted with rice, 196.30 hectares were planted with onions; 180 hectares were planted with corn; 159.42 hectares were planted with vegetables; 101.42 hectares to root crops; 50 hectares for sugar cane; and 16 hectares for Cavendish in 1994.

Of the total area devoted to agriculture on the same year, 1017 hectares were irrigated by water pumps while the rest were rain fed. Corn production includes 145 hectares of yellow corn and 35 hectares of white corn. The areas planted to rice and corn during the rainy season are usually for the production of other crops during the long dry season.

Vegetable production includes eggplant, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet pepper, ampalaya, upo, squash and mongo. It covered 16, 10, 32.89, 17, 3.75, 10, 2.65 and 30 hectares, respectively.

Root crops produced in Vigan are onion, peanut, cassava, yam, sweet potato and singkamas. It covered 196.30, 42.65, 11.56, 6, 20 and 21.21 hectares, respectively.

Other crops produced in the municipal are mango, melon, water melon, calamansi and guava.

In 1994, according to the Municipal Agricultural Office, the average yield per hectare of rice was 3.75 tons for irrigated and 3.5 tons for non-irrigated, while the average yield per hectare of corn was 6 tons per hectare and 4 tons for non-irrigated.

Based on standard nutritional requirement, the following table shows the rice, vegetable and root crops requirement of the municipality. At 81.76 kg. of rice per capita per year, rice requirement will increase from the current requirement of 57,337 cavans of 60 kgs to 68,186 cavans in the year 2005. Vegetable requirement at 47.69 kilograms per capita per year will increase from current requirement of 2,006,176 kilograms to 2,386,265 kilograms for the year 2005, and root crops at 23 kilograms per capita per year will grow from 967,541 kilograms to 1,150,851 kilograms for the year 1995 to 2005.

Farm holdings in the municipality are small. Of the farmers, 30 percent cultivate less than one hectare each; 60 percent cultivate one to two hectares each; and the rest cultivate three to more than four hectares each. Most of the farmers, about 60 percent, are land owners. Tenant tillers constitute 30 percent while lessees constitute 10 percent.

The prevailing crop sharing system is 75/25, the sharing scheme decreed by the government under the land reform program.

The use of improved farm practices in the municipality is already widespread. One hundred percent of the total farmers use organic and inorganic fertilizer and other chemicals. All of them practice seed selection or use high yielding varieties.

Farm equipment include 500 water pumps, 12 tractors and 8 hand tractors. There are a total of 15 rice mills within the municipality, 12 retailers of fertilizer and 12 wholesalers/retailers of commercial feeds that cater to the agricultural needs of farmers. The rice mills are located outside the poblacion while the dealers and retailers of feeds and agricultural chemicals are located in the poblacion.

Agricultural Extension Services

Agricultural Extension Services are provided by the Municipal Agricultural Officer and 12 technicians. These services include Integrated Pest Management, Organic Fertilizer Utilization, Crop Diversification and promotion on the use of soil innoculants. Promotion on the Proper Animal Health Care and Management. Promotion of Freshwater and Brackishwater Aqua-culture Development. Development/Strengthening of Community Based Organizations. Resources and personnel development, Conduct of Appropriate Training on Organization Building, skills development and management expertise. Promotion of technology on rapid composting. Women/Youth Development Program, Crops, Livestock and Fishery Research. Dispersal of Poultry and Livestock. Dispersal of fingerlings and other seedling materials for aqua-culture. Production/Distribution of Seed/planting materials. Soil analysis Services to Farmers and Enforcement of Fishery Laws in Municipal Water including Conservation of mangroves.

These services are usually delivered to the populace through organizations. 

Livestock and Poultry Production

Livestock and poultry of most of the households are done at backyard level. It is being encouraged by the government through dispersal of improved breeds of cattle and swine. In the year 1994, the Municipal Agriculture Office has distributed/re-dispersed 4 heads of cattle and a goat while in 1995 they have had distributed/re-dispersed 5 heads of cattle and 5 heads of swine. 

Livestock and poultry production in the municipality in 1994 include 2,853 heads of cattle, 63 heads of carabao, 2,878 heads of swine, 2,501 heads of goat, 17,236 heads of poultry and 2,351 heads of dog.

Aqua-culture Production

Fishing is a minor industry; hence it cannot meet the fish requirements of the municipality. Some of the marine product sold in the market comes from neigboring municipalities such as Caoayan, Santa, Sta. Catalina, San Vicente and as far as Dagupan City & Malabon. Generally, fishermen catch fish in the open sea, inland waters and fishponds.

Southwest of the municipality is the China Sea and the major fishing grounds or fish ponds are located at San Pedro, Mindoro, Pantay Laud, Barraca, Pong-ol, Ayusan Norte, Ayusan Sur, Pantay Daya, Paratong, Salindeg and Pantay Fatima. A total of 331 fishermen engaged in coastal fishing and in fishponds and their average annual fish production is 2.40 tons/hectare per year. Species caught include tilapia, bangus, prawn and groupers and other species abound in the sea.

The prevailing fishing methods are hook and line, cast nets and drift gill net by using motorized and non-motorized bancas for those who caught fish in the open sea, while net is being used in fishponds. There are a total area of 42.127 hectares of fishponds within the municipality.

Agrarian Reform Program

The Municipal Agrarian Reform has the responsibility of implementing the agrarian reform program in Vigan. Among its major projects are operation land transfer, leasehold operation and voluntary land transfer.

The targeted area of the operation land transfer was 97.3419 hectares with a targeted number of 95 recipients, but the actual area was 85.1085 hectares with 78 recipients. While the leasehold operation’s targeted area was 243,6544 hectares with 455 beneficiaries, but the actual area was 334.9531 hectares with 562 beneficiaries. More than 137 percent actually accomplished with respect to the targeted area. Voluntary land transfer, on the other hand, has a targeted area of 112.2948 hectares with 108 recipients, but the actual area was 115.7892 hectares with only 89 recipients. An increase of more than 3 percent with respect to the targeted area. 

The leasehold operation covers a wide area and affects a greater number of farmers than the voluntary land transfer. Table shows the targets and accomplishments of operation land transfer, leasehold operation and voluntary land transfer in the municipality as of December 31, 1994.

B.      Commerce and Industry

Business Establishments

The Municipality of Vigan is the center of trade and commerce in Ilocos Sur. Merchants from other towns come to the public market daily to sell their products. 

There are 1,227 business establishments registered at the Office of the Mayor. These establishments consist of 754 stores, 69 manufacturers/processors, 375 service establishments, 24 dealers/ distributors and 5 other businesses, in 1994 alone. Among these establishments are stall holders at the New Vigan Public Market along Jose Singson St. Other establishment were scattered within the commercial district of the municipality and only few are located outside the poblacion. Manufacturing /Processing establishments are engaged in making concrete products, Ilocano woven cloth "abel", ice plant, ice cream factory, Vigan jar factory, slipper/shoe making, tobacco redrying, stuff toys making, metal craft, miki/puto/okilas factory, native delicacies and taho making. These establishments were registered as cottage industries.

Earthen jars (Burnay) were sold in Paranaque, Metro Manila for saltbeds and in Lingayen, Pangasinan and Zambales for bagoong fermentation. Ilocano woven cloth  were sold in the locality and in other provinces of Luzon and Central Luzon.