By Liza Agoot and Rubenson Bilag, OJT/Philippine News Agency
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Local residents who will opt to observe fasting and avoid meat during this Lenten season are assured of sufficient supply of vegetables.
“We assure the public that there is enough supply of vegetables in observance of the Holy Week,” said Agot Balanoy, public relations officer of the association vegetable traders at the La Trinidad trading area.
In preparation for the season, traders increased the volume of purchases from the farmers to meet the expected high demand of vegetables during the “Semana Santa” (Holy Week), she said.
“From the usual 20 tons of vegetables that they purchase, the traders added 10-15 tons more to cater to the buyers, especially from Thursday to Saturday and to cover the days when they will not be getting supplies from the farmers,” Balanoy said.
Balanoy added that buyers coming from other parts of the country who supply vegetables outside the Cordillera did their last volume purchase on Tuesday.
She also said that buyers from Metro Manila, Bulacan and other key markets are expected to have their volume purchase on Wednesday.
“Starting tomorrow there will be less buyers coming from the nearby areas like La Union, Pangasinan, and Baguio City,” Balanoy explained.
Balanoy said that by Good Friday some out of town buyers will resume purchasing, but they expect the vegetable trading to normalize by Sunday.
Aside from bulk buyers, tourists in the city and in Benguet who will return to their hometowns are also expected to start buying by Saturday and Sunday.
“We expect tourists this Saturday and Sunday. They also help in vegetable trading even at low volume buying in retail. Our sellers are ready when it comes to serving our local tourists in selling their fresh vegetables,” said Balanoy.
She added that the supply increased starting Tuesday but demand for vegetables also jumped.
Despite the holidays, it will be business as usual for vegetable traders with the sellers expected to be at their posts to cater to the needs of the buying public.
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