BONTOC, Mountain Province – The provincial government is pursuing the established east-west trading of agricultural products to provide the thousands of farmers with markets for their produce while providing the assistance for the vulnerable and marginalized sectors heavily impacted by the extended Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine.
Gov. Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr. said the institutionalization of the east-west trading of products is part of the provincial government’s initiative for farmers in the province to have a decent market for their produce and sustain the supply of relief assistance that can be distributed to those who are vulnerable and marginalized.
Under the east-west trading of products, agricultural produce from eastern towns of the province, particularly Bontoc, Sadanga, Barlig, Natonin and Paracelis, such as bananas and water melon, will be purchased by the provincial government and distributed as relief assistance in the western towns specifically, Bauko, Tadian, Sabangan, Sagada and Besao, while the products of these western towns such as semi-temperate vegetables like cabbages, carrots, potatoes among others, will also be procured and given out to the same sectors in the eastern part of the province.
“We have to shoot two birds with one stone to satisfy the issues and concerns of the people for the market of their produce and the relief assistance for the heavily impacted sectors. We saw the good opportunity in pursuing the east-west trading of agricultural produce which we are now implementing on a periodic basis for us to be able to hurdle the challenges of the prevailing crisis,” Gov. Lacwasan stressed.
He added the provincial government will continue to look into possible opportunities to ensure the sustainability of the ongoing program considering its enormous benefits to the concerned sectors, especially in sustaining the food security of the province amidst the extended enhanced community quarantine.
The governor pointed out the implementation of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine has brought out the best in the people and officialdom of the province in terms of the measures taken to prevent the spread of the deadly virus and guaranteeing food security for the residents to be able to survive the prevailing crisis.
Most of the western towns of the province are producers of highland vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, cabbage, Chinese pechay, among others, while the eastern towns produce fruits, corn, and freshwater fish.
Lacwasan expressed his gratitude to the people in the different municipalities for their all-out support and cooperation in the strict implementation of policies governing the enhanced community quarantine handed down by the inter-agency task force on the management of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
By Hent
