Benguet remains the top producer of temperate vegetables in the country, with P200 million (€3.42 mln) worth of vegetables already being sold at the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) since 2015.
Violeta Salda, BAPTC chief of operations, said the facility serves as center of trading, inter-trading and socio-economic enterprise for semi-temperate crops have incurred increasing trading growth in the past years. Looking at the trading growth trends, in 2015, about 270 tons were traded in the facility, generating an income of P97,961 (€1,675).
Mid-2017, 71,000 tons were traded and in 2018, 106,000 tons of vegetables were also sold at P21.5 million (€367,000).
In the first five months of 2019, vegetables traded at BAPTC saw a decline, partly because the damage occurred by typhoons Ompong and Rosita last year.
Cameron Odsey, Department of Agriculture Cordillera (DA-CAR) executive director, said BAPTC, which was funded by the agency for the production and marketing of quality highland vegetables was turned-over to the Benguet State University and La Trinidad to manage and operate in partnership with local farmer’s cooperatives.
Odsey added production of fresh semi-temperate vegetables remain as main source of livelihood for farmers in the highlands particularly in the northernmost towns of Mankayan, Kibungan, Buguias, Bakun and Atok, all in Benguet. Other provinces in the Cordillera Administrative Region also trades vegetables in BAPTC which includes eight towns from Mt. Province and Tinoc in Ifugao.
Source: sunstar.com.ph
