Farmers, stakeholders, gov’t rallied for safe food production, marketing

July 16, 2019 Provincial

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet- Mayor Romeo Salda on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 rallied local farmers, stakeholders and government line agencies to work on a safe food production and marketing.

“To do this, we will first strengthen our support to local farmers for them to apply good agricultural practices (GAP),” Salda said during the opening of the La Trinidad Highland Vegetable Industry Week.

“We should be prepared on the challenges of globalization. Our produced vegetables must be competitive,”Salda said in keeping up with the activity’s theme “Sustaining the Highland Vegetable for a Vibrant Economy.”

Salda emphasized that safe production and marketing must be a concern of all people that will lead in protecting the consumers doing so.

He added the activity is one way of promoting the local vegetable industry, and further urged stakeholders to improve their marketing systems and packaging to meet international standards.

Salda warned farmers to be always on guard of illegally manufactured farm inputs reportedly being sold in the market.

By doing so, he called on the cooperation of all sectors to be united in working for the development and improvement of the industry.

Salda also expressed the support of several government line agencies in preserving and strengthening the multi-million industry which boosted the town’s economy and lifted the livelihood of the people.

Actually, the activity formed part in celebrating the foundation of the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post until it was institutionalized through a municipal ordinance passed in 2018.

“The celebration is a farm tourism and a way of appreciating the industry and the efforts of all the stakeholders,” Municipal Agriculture Office head Felicitas Ticbaen said.

Several activities like agrobazaar, agricultural forum, agriskills competition like vegetable carving, salad making, and launching of the organic vegetable Honesty Store marked the celebration.

Primo Agatep/ABN