(Ipinatatayo sa bawat barangay) EMERGENCY TRADING CENTERS

KASUNOD ng pagkasayang ng mga gulay at iba pang produktong pang-agrikultura sa gitna ng corona-virus  disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown, ipinanukala ng pribadong sektor ang  pagtatayo ng ‘emergency’ trading centers sa bawat barangay upang matiyak sa mga consumer ang suplay ng masustansiyang pagkain.

Ayon sa Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food (PCAF), ang pagtatayo ng emergency trading centers ay kagyat dahil nasasayang lamang ang mga gulay sa Benguet dahil maraming kalsada sa mga barangay ang isinara dahil sa ipinatutupad na Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine dulot ng COVID-19.

“Emergency trading centers in barangays and subdivisions nearest to consumers will give people access to the food they need while enhanced community quarantine is in effect. Mobile and rolling stores should be immediately dispatched. The agribusiness sector, unhampered, must take the lead,” wika ni PCAFI president Danilo V. Fausto.

“The trading centers will supply more nutrients to Filipino consumers than just what is available in canned goods which are what is being distributed by barangays,” dagdag pa niya.

“The emergency trading centers will also spare farmers from further impoverished situation amid Covid-19,” aniya.

“The same trading centers will also be used as place for sorting, packaging, marketing, and delivery of farm produce whenever found in food-producing areas.”

“Marketing, distribution and delivery efforts should be augmented with the help of government, the LGUs (local government units), and even by the military to ensure that food reaches the consumers and market of the farmers’ produced is assured,” ayon pa kay Fausto.

Sa gitna ng COVID-19 crisis, binigyang-diin din ng PCAFI na hindi dapat kaligtaan ng bansa ang umiiral na quarantine measures laban sa African swine fever (ASF).

“Complications on quarantine protocol: ASF for swine, Avian Flu for poultry and Fall army worm for corn could be left unattended due to the pandemic on Covid-19.

“Some local government units (LGUs) are defiant to the executive orders and laws that were promulgated to ensure safety and availability of food for their constituents. LGUs should be forced, with the help of the police and military to let go of their excess food produced in their area in order to ensure their availability to other parts of the country, “ ani Fausto.