MORE NEWS, BENGUET

Vegetable smuggling from China feared this Yuletide
BY DEXTER A. SEE

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Stakeholders of the local vegetable industry here warned concerned government agencies on the expected rise in the smuggling of imported vegetables from China during the Yuletide season.

The warning was issued because smuggling of vegetables from China will greatly affect the currently upbeat vegetable industry benefitting thousands of farmers in the 13 towns of the province.

There were reports of an attempt to sneak in the country thousands of tons of carrots the past two weeks.

This affected the price of the commodity which went down to as low as P5 per kilo at the vegetable trading post here before it regained a stable price.

Officials said backdoor smuggling is detected once the prices of locally produced vegetables drop to abnormal levels.

However, officials of the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Plant Industry denied knowledge on the entry of imported carrots nor of any permit issued to import the product.

Concerned sectors here could not pinpoint which port was used in sneaking carrots into the country.

The farmers and trader groups called on the BOC to strictly monitor “misdeclarations” made by importers especially during the Christmas season so that the entry of imported vegetables could be prevented.

This is to protect local farmers who plant similar crops.

Smugglers and importers have reportedly declared their products as fresh fruits and apples but upon the conduct of an extensive inspection of the container vans, customs examiners discovered the declared products were carrots, potatoes, onions, among others, all coming from China.

Local officials are pushing for the immediate creation of an anti-smuggling task force that will look into the unabated smuggling of vegetables and for a representative from the province to be part of the task force so that the interest of the local farmers and traders could be protected all the time.

At the same time, they rallied Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap not to sign the pest risk analysis (PRA) for carrots from China because the entry of imported carrots will surely "kill" the local vegetable industry which is the primary source of livelihood of over 250,000 farmers in the different parts of the Cordillera.


Bank offers finance to La Trinidad for plant
BY SUSAN C. ARO

LA TRINIDAD – The Cooperative Bank of Benguet, Inc. is offering financial assistance to this town’s local government to construct a toll packing plant to add value to marketable vegetables and make these globally competitive while improving its cold chain facility.

CBBI general manager Gerry Lab-oyan said the plant costs P10 million which is in support to the post harvest facility to maximize its utilization.

Lab-oyan said enhancement of the cold chain system through toll packing would increase the shelf life of produce as it could vacuum pack products preventing the entry of bacteria and other micro-organisms.

According to Lab-oyan, the plant has a feature that could sanitize products by removing bacteria such as E.coli and other harmful food borne micro-organisms. Bulacan is already doing the technology for non-vegetable processed foods, he added.

Coupled with the technology is proper labeling that would imprint the seal of quality products. Before a product would qualify for labeling, it entails scrutiny by experts perhaps from the academe and farmer representatives if it passes and conforms with quality products standards, Lab-oyan said.

Benguet vegetable produce has gained popularity adding that before others would patent it as their own, something has to be done, he said.

Seemingly, toll packing and labeling are the missing link in order to maximize the use of the facility, Lab-oyan stressed.

New Benguet Chamber of Commerce member Christine Abellon said the province’s produce have not been recognized which is why there is a need to improve quality and labeling to identify or associate these with Benguet.

“We are in a global market, we have to move and put our acts together not only for the vegetable industry but other products a well,” she added.

In addition to CBBI’s loan capital and concessionaire loans to cooperatives, it also financially assists farmer parents of students of the Benguet State University during enrollment allowing them to display organically produced crops at the BSU business center.

An affiliate of the NBCC, CBBI initiated the organic agriculture congress and the Benguet ethnic food festival in coordination with local government units and line government agencies which according to Lab-oyan increased trade and commerce, another means of extending assistance to farmers.

With 150 farmer-beneficiaries catering to both individuals and groups, the bank’s asset has ballooned to a total of P250 million from a meager asset of P1.37 million when it started way back 1992.

In a related development, the NBCC is promoting and focusing potential areas for development such as production of organic coffee and organic agriculture. Going organic according to Abellon is reaffirming the Cordillera’s cultural identity in preserving and in recognizing its traditional way of life.

Abellon said Benguet Arabica is a premium coffee with competitive advantage over other coffee varieties considering that it commands a higher price. She said the group hopes that it could be positioned in the international market.

In promoting the coffee industry, the NBCC together with multi-sectoral groups will be holding a Coffee Congress next month.

Furthermore, the NBCC committed to support the Department of Trade Industry’s move for the creation of an Investments Promotion Coordinating Council that would draw policy directions of businesses in the province and the crafting and enactment of an Investment Code which serves as a roadmap for business industry.

DTI program management division representative Vilma Abad said this should be a collaborative effort between and among stakeholders in the province.


Beneco officials confiscate Buguias tampered meters
BY SUSAN C. ARO

BUGUIAS, Benguet – The Benguet Electric Coop. has confiscated 130 pilfered meters mostly here at Barangay Bangao reportedly tampered by a group of unscrupulous individuals collecting fees to reduce monthly power bills.

Beneco northern sub-office manager engineer Garet Gregory Waytan said inspection of meters was conducted last June following reduction of power consumption by 50 percent among consumers in some parts of Buguias.

The syndicate collects fees ranging from a low of P100.00 to a high of P1,000 depending upon the consumer’s capacity to pay, Waytan said.

Beneco confiscated the tampered meters and issued penalties to consumers with a minimum of P2,500.

They will also be charged of meter cost amounting to P1,250.00, reconnection fee of P50.00, and retroactive billing based on the monthly average power consumption.

Beneco has not filed yet a case against these unscrupulous individuals as they have not been tracked and that their exact identities are still unknown.

The power cooperative warned consumers not to fall prey to such scheme as it would affect other consumers in payment of systems loss.

Moreover, in compliance with National Electrification Administration regulatory power directive with the advent of the EPIRA Law, BENECO will be organizing a multi-sectoral electrification advisory council, said Beneco corporate services manager Brenda Carling.

As stated in the guidelines, existing member-consumer electrification committees or district electrification committees shall be converted into MSEAC upon effectivity of the guidelines whose membership shall be confirmed in writing by the sector they represent within a given period of 15 days.

The MSEAC shall serve as information channels in the dissemination of electric cooperative programs and policies.

It would also serve catalysts in harnessing member-consumer efforts in support of activities in improving electric cooperative operations.

Beneco officials said the MSEAC chairman or his or her representative shall be allowed to attend Board meetings as an observer or to discuss relevant issues and concerns affecting the district or municipality to ensure transparency and responsiveness of electric cooperative policies, decisions and generate immediate feedbacks.

MSEAC representatives shall compose sectors such as agro-fishery, barangay council, business, civic, education, local government, media, religious, youth, and women.