BENGUET FARMERS GET ASSISTANCE FROM AGRI DEP’T

The Department of Agriculture has allotted P1.25 million in financial assistance to displaced strawberry farmers affected by the construction of the modernized Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (APTC) along Strawberry Road in Benguet.

A total of 58 farmers were given their third tranche of financial support worth P500,000 last July 15, 2011 which they can use as seed money so they can start anew.

Aside from them, the DA is also keen in assisting other agri producers in the province.

APTC Director Ariel Mañalac explained that though it may take two years for the BAPTC to complete, the DA is already working to federate farmers into a cooperative so that it will be easier for them to start marketing their produce in the center as well as acquire assistance from DA.

Moreover, Mañalac explained that once the processing plant in the site is complete, farmers can also sell their crops such as carrots, chayote, broccoli and other upland vegetables to be used for processed chopsuey sealed in tetra pack. Aside from processed chopsuey DA will also have other processed products such as juices and noodles. This way, farmers are assured of stable selling price for their vegetables.

“The problem however, is that if selling price for carrots increases, the farmers will hesitate to bring it to the processing plant. To address this, we will include the farmers as part of the business so they will have 20 percent share of the company’s stocks to maintain their loyalty.”

The P400-M worth APTC is expected to finish within two years which will include warehouses, cold storage, processing center, post harvest facilities, spot trading areas and commercial areas. It is strategically located in a four-hectare lot in La Trinidad near Benguet State University.

Mañalac said that BAPTC can accommodate around 500-800 trucks at any given time and can handle over 1, 000 tons of vegetables every day, unlike the old trading post near the area where hundreds of trucks had to queue for over 18 hours before they could unload their vegetables.

“They’d resort to selling their harvests to disposers at a very low price just to avoid waiting too long,” he added.

Aside from helping farmers increase their income and improve marketing, DA will also help farmers become entrepreneur themselves by training them about value adding. DA will also be responsible in values formation among farmers so that they continuously improve their living standards. Catherine Nanta/DA-Information Service