LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol assured agriculture industry stakeholders that the national government will bankroll the put-up of food terminals in areas surrounding the National Capital Region (NCR) to provide a wider market for their vegetable produce.
During his visit here Thursday, the Secretary revealed that the planned food terminals will be built in Bulacan and Taguig to allow farmers to have greater access to potential markets and to avoid them from converging in Metro Manila just to sell their produce.
“We have to continue finding ways how to help our farmers market their produce to provide them sustainable livelihood sources that will make a significant improvement in their lives,” Piñol told hundreds of agriculture industry stakeholders who were gathered at the multi-million Benguet AgriPinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) to listen to the administration’s programs on the development of vegetable farming.
When the Divisoria market was closed by the Manila city government for a massive cleanup, it was learned that vegetable traders lost around P10 million daily for more than a week as their NCR buyers no longer placed orders during the clean-up period.
Aside from putting up food terminals around Metro Manila, the agriculture official said the government will continue providing adequate financial and technical support to the farmers to improve the quality of their produce to be traded in the international markets through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Free Trade Agreement.
In a random interview with farmers present during the consultations, most of them support the initiatives of the Duterte administration in addressing the requirements for the development of the agriculture sector and make vegetable farming a major economic driver in the region.
Benguet, some parts of Mountain Province and Ifugao, remain the sources of over 82 percent of the country’s supply of highland vegetables due to the climate that augurs well for semi-temperate vegetable production.
Piñol also assured agriculture industry stakeholders that he will be frequenting different parts of the region to get to know the problems of the agriculture industry to guide government in extending the right assistance to boost productivity and increase farmers’ access to high-end local and international markets.
According to him, it is important for farmers to speak with one voice about their plight to strengthen their advocacy with the national government for immediate action on their concerns.
Piñol believes local farmers deserve utmost support from the government but they must also do their part by adhering to quality product standards required by the local and international markets.
By HENT