LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has given the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) a revolving fund of PHP20 million for the purchase of excess and/or unsold vegetables which they will process into other products.
“This is part of the government’s effort to help our farmers so that they will not just throw away their agricultural produce. The BAPTC will buy them and process them,” Governor Melchor Diclas said on Tuesday.
Diclas said DA Secretary William Dar has approved the allocation of the amount during the BAPTC Board meeting on October 29 at the Benguet State University (BSU).
The BAPTC was constructed by the DA during the Aquino administration on a land owned by BSU primarily to help vegetable farmers in the area and the rest of the Cordillera Administrative Region who bring their agricultural products to La Trinidad for trading.
Diclas said the money will be used by the BAPTC administration led by its chief operations officer Dr. Violeta Salda to assure that there will be no wastage in vegetables produced by buying them and processing them.
The excess vegetables have led to losses on the part of the farmers who did not only invest money but also time and effort to produce them.
Dar earlier turned over PHP20 million for the completion of the processing facility to make it functional immediately.
Pending the completion of the processing plant, the BAPTC will use the excess vegetables bought from farmers for making veggie noodles and other processed foods. **By Liza T. Agoot, PNA
