ORGANIC TRADING POST. Various organic vegetables and fruits, as well as other local products, are on sale at the newly-reopened organic trading post at the New Public Market in Barangay Del Pilar, City of San Fernando, Pampanga. The organic trading post is open from 5 a.m. until 12 noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays. (Photo courtesy of the City Government of San Fernando)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga -- The city government of San Fernando has reopened the organic trading post here in a bid to promote organic farming in the province.
Mayor Edwin Santiago, together with city agriculturist Cristina Sangumay and Fernando Lorenzo, head of the AgriBusiness and Marketing Assistance Division of the Department of Agriculture (DA) 3 (Central Luzon), led the reopening of the organic trading post at the New Public Market in Barangay Del Pilar, this city on Tuesday.
Sangumay said the project was revived after more than four years since it was launched in 2015 to give the city’s organic farmers opportunities to promote their produce.
“Nagsumikap tayo na muling buhayin yung operation ng organic trading post para mas maipakilala at maibahagi pa sa mga Fernandino ang organic products sa ating siyudad (We worked hard to revive the operation of the organic trading post to introduce and share to the Fernandinos our city’s organic products),” she said.
Sangumay also said the trading post would provide easy market access and push organic farmers here to produce more.
“We also aim to assist our organic farmers by providing them sure market for their products,” she added.
Lorenzo, on the other hand, cited some of the positive benefits of organic farming in the community and lauded the city government for reopening the trading post.
“Organic farming will do good in many ways -- sa ating mga lupa, sa kapaligiran, at sa kalusugan ng tao. Kaya naman natutuwa tayo at binabati natin ang City Government of San Fernando, sa pangunguna ni Mayor Edwin Santiago, na naibalik muli ang trading post (in our lands, surroundings, and health of the people. Thus, we are happy and we want to congratulate the City Government of San Fernando, led by Mayor Edwin Santiago, for the revival of the trading post),” Lorenzo said.
The organic trading post is open from 5 a.m. until 12 noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Fernandinos and market-goers from nearby towns can buy different products from the site, including vegetables and fruits, alongside other local products such as chili sauce, cane vinegar, and mushroom chips.
Santiago, for his part, extended his gratitude to the members of the Fernandino Organic Farmers’ Association for the support they have been giving to the city in promoting organic farming.
“Natutuwa tayo na sa kabila ng mga makabagong paraan ng pagtatanim, nandiyan pa rin ang ating asosasyon upang tulungan tayo na palakasin pa ang organic farming sa siyudad (We are happy that despite the modern ways of farming, our association is still here to help promote organic farming in the city),” he said.
Likewise, the city mayor said that organic farming, in terms of production and consumption, is recognized as a safer form of producing crops. (PNA)
