Benguet province is intent on constructing vegetable processing facilities in five of its municipalities. Governor Melchor Diclas disclosed the proposal for the possible set-up of a processing center for other Benguet towns that was earlier discussed with Secretary William Dar of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
"If the processing facility in Benguet State University (BSU) is successful, we can also expand for far-flung towns of Benguet such as Mankayan, Buguias, Kabayan, Kibungan, Bakun," Diclas said.
Last June, Dar announced an initial P20 million (€360,000) funding for the put-up of processing facility at BSU funded by the DA through the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR).
Aside from the processing facility in BSU in La Trinidad, another processing facility is also eyed in Buguias where a satellite campus of BSU is located. Once a processing center is put up in the area, a link with the academe will be in the works for research purposes.
Cordillera supplies 80 percent of Metro Manila's highland vegetables coming from Benguet and Mt. Province. Benguet is home to big vegetable trading areas such as the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post and Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center, delivering vegetables to key markets in Manila such as Divisoria and Balintawak and other areas in the country like La Union, Ilocos, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Palawan, Cebu and Iloilo, among others.
Source: sunstar.com.ph
