The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and the Japan Agricultural Exchange Council (JAEC) recently inaugurated the Buguias cold storage facility powered by a solar panel system in Benguet.
ATI said the facility is part of its safe vegetable production technology dissemination and vegetable distribution system improvement project.
The agency said the project uses two technologies including the safe vegetable from rich soils and the Farmers’ Improvement of Vegetable Packing and Shipment (FIVPS).
ATI said FIVPS involves the construction of a shipping facility where the vegetables are pre-cooled before delivery to the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center to maintain their freshness.
“This milestone is a symbol of collaboration and progress in our pursuit for safe vegetable production and improvement in the vegetable distribution system. This facility is a result of a fruitful partnership with JAEC,” said Remelyn Recoter, ATI director, in a statement.
Last year, JAEC, together with the government of Japan, signed the grant contract for the second phase of the safe vegetable production technology dissemination and vegetable distribution system improvement project amounting to $513,716 or approximately P27.51 million.
The grant assistance for Japanese non-government organization projects started in the Philippines in 2002 and generated 58 projects amounting to approximately 1.62 billion yen or around P642.65 million to date. – Jed Macapagal
