Operation of Benguet trading center hobbled by uncertainties

La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines – Uncertainty continues to hound the opening of the P600 million Benguet Agri Pinoy Trading Center which is envisioned to sustain the growth of the local vegetable industry of the Cordillera highlands.

The facility, built on a four hectare property of the Benguet State University, was targeted for opening in June.

Benguet Gov. Nestor Fongwan admitted that despite a series of consultations initiated by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala with the farmers and stakeholders, there are still issues that need to be addressed before the facility could open at full blast.

Among these issues include the absence of adequate water supply and the snail’s pace of construction.

The facility is expected to help vegetable farmers cope with the effects of the integration of domestic agriculture to the agricultures of member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Economic Community.

Farmers are banking on the operation of the facility which will bring in state-of-the-art vegetable packaging and processing technologies to make vegetable produce competitive for both domestic and international markets.

The operation of the Benguet Agri Pinoy Trading Center will eliminate middlemen, delivery truck queing and provide solutions to oversupply in vegetables often placed by Benguet farmers.

The facility is in line with the Aquino administration’s commitment to improve the marketability of the semi-temperate vegetables in the province.

It will have its own crop loan and crop insurance provider through the cooperative that will run and manage the trading center.

The facility will also have its own laboratory for testing of pesticide residue to ensure the quality of vegetables traded in the facility.