Sen. Francis Pangilinan called on the Department of Agriculture to ensure that it would have funds for cold storage and transportation facilities in its 2027 budget to address oversupply and protect the income of farmers and fisherfolk.
Without these facilities, Pangilinan warned that they would be forced to sell their harvest at very low prices, throw it out, or let it spoil
Pangilinan said it is important that farmers and fisherfolk have the facilities to move, store, and market their produce so that their hard work increasing their yield would not be wasted.
“Kahit marami tayong ma-produce na bigas, sibuyas, kamatis, at marami tayong huling isda, kung wala namang maayos na transportasyon o pasilidad para maiimbak ito, balewala ang hirap ng ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda,” he said in a statement.
He said he has had to rescue 12 tons of surplus tomatoes in Rizal, Nueva Ecija, last year, preventing crop wastage due to oversupply.
He said the farmers and fisherfolk suffer the most because they are forced to sell at a loss to middlemen, who then sell their produce at high prices
“Lugi na nga ang ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda, naabuso pa ang ating mga mamimili,” he added.
Amid the recent flooding along the San Simon section of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Pangilinan also warned that prolonged traffic disruptions could lead to food spoilage, reduced market arrivals, and temporary shortages.
They also lead to higher prices because longer travel times mean additional costs for fuel, labor, toll, and refrigeration.
He suggested the establishment of “green lanes” for trucks carrying food and live animals, the designation of clear and dependable alternative routes, and the deployment of mobile cold-storage facilities, ice, and rescue-transfer equipment to prevent agricultural products from spoiling.
He urged local governments and the DA, through its KADIWA program, to conduct emergency procurement of the agricultural products that farmers and food producers could not transport so that their losses would be minimized.
He also called for the permanent elevation and flood-proofing of the San Simon portion of the NLEX to prevent recurring disruptions, since this is a critical food-transport corridor.