LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan said stakeholders need a longer period of transition to adjust to the new policies of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) in the full operation of the multi-million Benguet Agri Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) built for the benefit of vegetable farmers in the region.
The three-term lawmaker, who is a member of the PSC, said the BAPTC management msut so something to make the facility operational and prevent it from becoming a white elephant.
“We need to sustain our efforts to consult with stakeholders to win their hearts in patronizing the facility so that farmers will directly benefit from its operation. We have to work out possible solutions that will lead to the full operation of the facility to maximize its beneficial potentials to our farmers,” Cosalan stressed.
He expressed confidence that the new BAPTC officials will be able to convince farmers and disposers to use the facility in their transactions so that the facility will be maximized in addressing the needs of the farmers.
According to him, the facility will not be able to operate if BAPTC management will continue to be hostaged by the demand of disposers who continue to dictate on farmers that prevent them from transferring to the facility.
The BAPTC was built by the government to serve as the central vegetable trading center of semi-temperate vegetables produced in Benguet, Mountain Province, and Ifugao to ensure that farmers benefit from their produce by directly trading them thus increasing their income.
Earlier, BAPTC management temporarily suspended the collection of the prescribed P0.25 trading fee per kilo of vegetables being traded in the facility to attract farmers to trade their produce at the facility and to see for themselves the benefit of directly transacting with the management.
The BAPTC, which was built within a 5-hectare property of the State-run Benguet State University (BSU) as the counterpart education institution in the project, is considered the biggest agriculture trading center in the country to help uplift the standard of living of farmers and to decongest the existing vegetable trading post.
The PSC was tasked to be the policy-among body of the facility which is composed of representatives from the provincial government, BSU, La Trinidad municipal government, Cordillera office of the Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR), farmers association, and the office of the congressman.
Cosalan said policies crafted by the PSC are friendlier to the farmers but it seems there are some outside factors that prevent the farmers from patronizing the facility that was built to protect their interests.
By HENT
