LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Gov. Nestor B. Fongwan pointed out the operating guidelines of the P600 million Benguet Agri Pinoy Trading Center must first be ironed out by the project steering committee before the facility will be in full operation by the third week of this month as committed by President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III.
The governor admitted he was able to receive a copy of the promulgated guidelines for the operation of the facility but he has yet to review the same for them to thresh out possible issues prior to the proposed operation of the country’s biggest trading center.
“I have yet to review the guidelines that was handed over to me that is why I cannot yet make a categorical answer whether issues of farmers have been appropriately addressed by the agriculture department,” Fonggwan stressed.
He cited there is a need for the members of the project steering committee must already meet to decide on whether or not to adopt or amend the guidelines so that it will be applicable to the current trend of the times.
During his visit to Luna, Apayao last month, President Aquino disclosed that the government will pilot test the multi-million trading center prior to its projected full blast operation by the third week of this month so that agriculture industry stakeholders could maximize the utilization of the facility for the benefit of improving the quality of locally grown vegetables for the same to cope up with the implementation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) free trade agreement.
The governor underscored it is very important that the trading center will be equipped with appropriate packaging and processing units of equipment to provide value added for locally grown vegetables in time for the implementation of the ASEAN free trade by the end of this year.
According to him, concerned government agencies must closely work with local governments in order to continuously improve the state of the lucrative agriculture industry so that vegetable production will remain to become a sustained source of livelihood for the over 250,000 residents relying on farming as a source of livelihood.
For several decades now, Benguet remains to supply over 80 percent of the volume of highland vegetables being sold in the Metro Manila and other lowland markets.
Among the popular semi-temperate vegetables produced in the different vegetable-producing areas in the province include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, string beans, bell pepper, lettuce and assorted types of pea.
He clarified that he will continue to make the appropriate representations with the project steering committee so that the plight of the agriculture industry stakeholders will be given immediate attention considering that the facility should be pro-farmers to allow its sustained operation in the coming years and for the facility to serve its projected purpose.
By Dexter A. See