The Department of Agriculture (DA) considered to introduce an auction market in Puerto Princesa City once the Agricultural Trading Center located in Barangay Irawan will fully operate this last quarter of 2021, an official said.
Antonio Gerundio, regional executive director of the DA-Mimaropa said that they will introduce auction as a market system that is fair to local farmers.
In the auction market, only accredited auctioneers will be allowed to buy farmers’ products in volume. An auctioneer is authorized by law to sell the goods of others at public sale. He said that they will invite farmers’ cooperatives who are interested to become an accredited auctioneer.
“Yung mag aauction lang ay ang accredited lang natin na auctioneer. Yun yung iniisip natin. There will be a base price for the day based on the supply and demand situation and market price,” he further said.
In the existing system, unscrupulous traders and consolidators took advantage of the farmers and oftentimes offered unfair prices to their produce. As a result, local farmers were left with no choice but to sell their highly perishable agricultural products at a lower price rather than allowing them to deteriorate.
Gerundio explained that the auction system in marketing is an answer to make it fair for the local farmers and producers, at the same this will ensure a stable supply chain of agricultural products in Puerto Princesa City and Palawan.
“Our trading center should have an auction market for the farmers. So that our farmers will get the best price for the produce during the day. This will the main motivator for the farmers to produce more, kasi kung sa isip nila ay lagi silang pinagsasamantalahan ay mawawalan sila ng gana na magtanim,” Gerundio emphasized.
He informed that the facility will be officially inaugurated before the end of 2021, which President Rodrigo Duterte and DA Secretary William Dar were expected to attend the event.
“All (farmers) associations will be invited to bring their products to the trading center. Magkakampanya tayo sa mga farmers within a 100-kilometer radius of Puerto Princesa para pagpunta ni President and Secretary during October or November ay meron na tayong mai-supply dyan (sa trading center). We have that trading center operate by November kasi pupunta si Presidente at si Secretary,” Gerundio said.
The City Government has started to construct a 91-M transport terminal in Barangay Irawan, near the Agricultural Trading Center, a bid to decongest the city’s existing terminal located in Barangay Jose and the city’s urban center from heavy traffic. Mayor Lucilo R. Bayron has presented the city government’s plan to establish its newest hub in Barangay Irawan, where some government facilities are already existing. The barangay has also a potential site for the planned development.
The P50-million Agricultural Trading Center funded by both the DA and the City Government of Puerto Princesa is seen to boost the local farmers and producers, and help increase economic activities in the locality. This facility is similar to other trading posts in the country where wholesalers can trade their agricultural products to accredited auctioneers.