P4.9M hauling trucks awarded to Benguet Farmers to transport harvests

La Trinidad, Benguet - Eyeing to expand the market linkages and pay lesser amount of transportation fees for the farmer’s associations in the province, the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) granted two new hauling trucks with a refrigerated van worth P4,986,000.00 under the DA-High-Value Crop Development Program (DA-HVCDP).

The Manpat-a Farmer's Association (MFA) and Buguias-Japan Agricultural Trainees Association (BJATA) received said trucks as support to their agri-preneur project of producing and selling various highland vegetables such as potatoes, cabbages, beans, carrots, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, romaine lettuces, and tomatoes.

According to DA-CAR Press Release No. 21-147, the assistance is in line with the Post-Harvest Processing Logistic and Marketing Support of the OneDA Reform Agenda, that targets to improve the national agriculture logistics system in order to speed up and reduce transport and distribution costs from production to consumption areas; including export destinations.

BJATA President Gaspar Paquito said, “Dakkel iti maitulong na daytoy. Jay transportation ti nateng mi ket mapan ditoy lugan. At least haan kami agbaybayad ti ag-hakhakot ti nateng mi.”

Paquito disclosed that with the cut in their transportation costs, they can earn and save roughly about PHP 16,000 to PHP 56,000 monthly. The money, he said, will be used to procure the needed agricultural equipment and farm inputs, so they won’t just depend on what the DA could provide.

Meanwhile, President MFA Basilio Ngaseo Jr. said that the project is one of the biggest assistances that they received from DA. And that, aside from cheaper transportation costs, this will also help them to reach more markets outside the region such as Isabela and Candon, Ilocos Sur.

A new committee will soon be formed in each association to ensure the maintenance of the trucks, manage the delivery schedules, and recordings of maintenance expenses.

Both associations are now looking into delivering goods twice a week, particularly in the main trading areas in La Trinidad, Baguio, and Nueva Vizcaya.

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