The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) have taken steps to fast-track the construction of the food hub on land owned by the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) in Pampanga, the DA said on Sunday.
The Clark food hub will centralize the storage, processing, and distribution of agricultural commodities, while providing efficient access to farmers, traders and other buyers, the DA said in a statement.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that based on a recent site inspection with CIAC officials, 47 hectares of CIAC land have been identified for the food hub. The first phase of development and construction works will be done in a 12-hectare section of the 47 hectares, which will cost around P2 billion, Tiu Laurel said.
He added that the food hub could be operational within 18 months from the start of construction, but he did not provide a definitive timeline.
“Access to the entire area remains challenging… But a 12-hectare section could be sufficient for initial development, considering our current budget and timelines,” Tiu Laurel explained.
CIAC functions as a government-owned and controlled corporation, which is also a subsidiary for land development of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority. It is also tasked by the DOTr to oversee the Clark International Airport.
Meanwhile, DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon, who also chairs CIAC, said that the Clark food hub would be a “game-changer” for Philippine agriculture and food logistics, citing its strategic location close to the Subic seaport, Subic-Clark Expressway, and the Clark International Airport.
Dizon also said that the food hub concept was originally proposed by the Semmaris of France, a public-private firm that operates the Rungis International Market, which is considered as the largest wholesale food market in the world.
However, the DOTr chief said that the initial plan for the Clark food hub stalled when Semmaris’ local partner withdrew due to high relocation costs associated with the original site, which could have ultimately burdened consumers.
Apart from Clark, the DA said it has been looking at other sites across the country to set up similar food hubs to improve farm output, stabilize food supply and prices while increasing farmers’ incomes, and generating jobs and investments.
