DAVAO CITY, January 7, 2019: Reacting to statements and marching orders made by Agriculture Secretary William Dar last Friday, Davao City Chamber of Commerce President John Carlo Tria, today, said that the farm to market roads and other logistics facilities will better ensure food supply and stable prices across various regions and enable farmers to meet better markets.

“Right now demand for food will grow as our economy grows. It is ensuring the right volumes of supply and getting these to the consumers that will be important,” he explained.

“PPPs for logistics infrastructure are needed especially in Mindanao, which supplies about 40% of the country’s food supply, and where prices of commodities are often lower than the rest of the country. This will allow food to get to consumers quickly and cheaply,” Tria explained.

Tria likewise said that this assurance of supply and stability of prices makes other industries like hotels and restaurants competitive.

“If food prices go up, so will the cost of eating in restaurants and tourism establishments, which may make them less competitive,” he explained.

“For this reason we are open to dialogue with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry to help build strong logistics networks and infrastructure such as cold storage facilities which will help farmers and consumers. Having better logistics helps farmers by minimizing the volatility in prices since excess produce need not go to waste or drive down prices as they can be stored.” he said. — PR