Philexport calls on govt to improve Mindanao roads, ports for produce exporters

The Philippine Exporters’ Confederation (Philexport) is urging the government to improve roads and ports in Mindanao to lessen the amount of fresh farm produce lost in transport “due to the poor state of the transport and logistics structure.”

In a statement issued over the weekend, Philexport cited a December 2012 “Policy Notes” analysis by Philippine Institute for Development Studies research fellow Gilberto M. Llanto, which referred to an earlier study's findings that as much as 20 percent to 50 percent of fresh produce can be lost on the way from the farm to the end consumers due to “inefficiency in the road networks and port and shipping services.”

“[B]ad roads and inefficient port and shipping facilities prevent small farmers and growers from fully accessing the demand centers, leading to higher costs in transporting produce, greater risk of spoilage, lower quality of the produce, and higher risk of road accidents,” said PhilExport.

It added that the traders surveyed “complained about the high cost of transport rental, absence of good-quality road network from source to market, lack of links between farm roads and main roads, and the high cost of fuel.”

The analysis made several recommnedations, including that the government invest in road and port infrastructure connecting producing areas to markets; improve RORO (roll-on, roll-off) services; provide “timely and accurate market information through various means of communication” to help small growers get the best prices for their produce; and “rationalize its road investment program and improve road construction and maintenance.” — BM, GMA News