Improved BAPTC eyed to lure stakeholders

IN A BID TO supply major restaurants with fresh vegetables in the province, Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) is seeking ways farmers can improve on quality.

BAPTC Interim Chief Operations Officer Dr. Violeta Salda during a citizen’s forum at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Office said the center is hoping to acquire a detector to guage content of fertilizers in vegetables brought to the center.

The BAPTC official added proper handling and packing will soon be taught to traders in a bid to extend the shelf life of vegetables being brought to the different market in the country.

BAPTC is also part to the Food Science Research and Innovation Center (FSRIC) of Benguet State University for the supply of vegetables for product

BAPTC development and commercial food processing.

Excess vegetables will soon be processed into healthy and nutritious veggie noodles, breads, chips, siomai, puree, and other food products.

Board member John Botiwey meanwhile suggested to Salda to deal with the current problems the trading center is facing instead of focusing on the long term plan of BAPTC.

Farmers earlier complained about operating charges being imposed by BAPTC managers which are costly prompting stakeholders to stay put at the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post.

The construction of BAPTC started in 2014, with a P655million funding from the Department of Agriculture. It was partially completed in April last year.

The facility was conceived to be a modern vegetable trading center complementing the country's participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Economic Community integration. The completion was delayed because the construction did not start on time, and it also suffered from inadequate access roads, among others. Shena Golosino