Benguet sets veggie delivery scheme to boost economy

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The provincial board is mulling regulation and   institutionalization of clustering scheme for delivery of vegetables in the government-run trading centers in   the province 

The scheme adapted during community quarantine to control movement of people  at the La Trinidad  Vegetable Trading Post and Benguet Agri Pinoy Trading Center was  found favorable as prices became stable with the regulated supply of  vegetables coming in.

Board Member Nestor Fongwan Jr in his proposed ordinance on the clustering of vegetable delivery, aims to regulate vegetable supplies and prices including management of vegetable transport vehicles. 

Clogging of people at the LTVTP and BAPTC was a concern at the start of the enhanced community quarantine until the Provincial Inter-agency Task Force for Covid-19 adapted clustering of municipalities in delivery of vegetables on recommendation of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and municipal agriculture offices. 

Delivery is according to the municipality of origin with   Buguias, Atok, Kabayan, Sablan, Itogon, La Trinidad, and Kapangan composing cluster 1   and Mankayan, Kibungan, Bakun, Tuba, Tublay, and Bokod as cluster 2

There are vegetables delivered to trading centers outside Benguet which were included in clustering.  

Those coming from Bauko, Mountain Province are under cluster 1 and from Tinoc, Ifugao under cluster 2.

The schedule for cluster 1 is Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while Cluster 2 is Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Aside from reducing people entering the centers, the scheme  turned out favorable to the agriculture sector resulting to better income to farming sector.

It also eased traffic of vehicles hauling vegetables entering the capital town.

The proposed ordinance once approved will cover all existing and future large-scale vegetable trading centers located within the province. – PIA Benguet