PROMOTION of temperate vegetables continue with the opening of the Second Highland Vegetable Festival at Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center on Wednesday, July 24.
A thanksgiving mass and opening of the Agri-TienDA kicked off the opening of the program with the theme “Sustainable Highland Vegetable Festival” led by members of the Highland Vegetable Festival Stakeholders (HVFS Association) and BAPTC personnel.
Cameron Odsey, Department of Agriculture Cordillera (DA-CAR) regional executive director highlighted the importance of the festival.
“It is an important festival, so that stakeholders can come together and share ideas on the state of the local vegetable industry and offer insights on how we must move forward,” Odsey said.
Odsey added much of the produce from the highland farms are sold to the different markets in the Philippines including Metro Manila markets while some are brought to the Visayas.
The DA official added production of fresh semi-temperate vegetables remains as main source of livelihood and income for small farmers in the highlands of Benguet, Bauko in Mountain Province and Tinoc in Ifugao.
On Wednesday, farmers participated in vegetable fun race, heaviest vegetables contest and vegetable packing contest to see how well they sort vegetables.
An investment forum also occurred between local government officials and the different BAPTC stakeholders which includes traders, market facilitators, packers, porters and farmers.
During the three-day event, TienDA was opened to boost direct access of consumers to different produce and products.
TienDA, a marketing concept and program of the agricultural department seeks to make food available and affordable to consumers and a venue for farmers and fishermen to directly sell their produce and for consumers.
Dr. Violeta Salda, BAPTC chief of operations officer, reported the contribution to the vegetable industry and challenges of the center.
“The facility’s role starts from the farm up to the consumers, from the farmer, trader, processor, wholesaler, retailer and consumer, we came in as a service provider,” she said.
BAPTC has become a center of trading or inter-trading and a socio-economic enterprise for semi-temperate crops, she added.
Salda noted future plans of the facility aims to enhance market linkages, building markets thru cold chain technologies and partnerships.