Strawberry Village to rise in La Trinidad

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Councilors approved a P300,000 counterpart fund to augment the Department of Agriculture (DA) project at the strawberry fields here.

Councilor Henry Kipas pushed for the approval of the municipal counterpart in order to complete the finishing of Phase I of the DA project.

Phase I of the project is estimated to cost P1.8 million.

The fund will complete a Strawberry Village on site that will highlight the industry as well as the One Town One Product of the municipality.

Kipas said actual production of strawberry based products will be seen by the public once the plans are complete, giving tourists and visitors an added attraction when they visit the Valley which is dubbed as the “Salad Bowl” of the country.

The plans are part of a P400-million modern wholesale trading and processing facility for vegetables and fruits -- dubbed as Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (APTC) on the four-hectare lot at the berry farm.

The DA envisions the Benguet APTC to form part of the country’s integrated food supply chain being established in major food producing regions in the country.

The new facility will complement the existing trading post near the La Trinidad Municipal Hall. It is envisioned to make trading operations of vegetables and fruits faster, from unloading until payment of goods delivered, and thus minimize spoilage and wastage.

It will also a feature a modern processing facility, to be funded by a $2.5-million grant from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica), said DA Secretary Alcala.

The facility will process vegetables into ready-to-cook “chopsuey” packs, vegetable chips and starch.

The Benguet APTC -- designed by the Development Academy of the Philippines -- features three large trading areas, cold storages, solid waste treatment facility, a dormitory and lounge, commercial spaces for a cafeteria, commercial or cooperative bank, administration office, as well as offices for farmers’ cooperatives, parking area for delivery trucks and refrigerated vans, and other ancillary support facilities. (Ma. Elena Catajan)