DA turns-over freezer vans, chest freezers to city

Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR) Regional Executive Dir. Cameron Odsey turned-over two freezer vans and four units of chest freezers to the city government led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong during flag-raising rites, Nov. 14, at City Hall, under its Kadiwa Cold Chain Project.

City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) head Dr. Silardo Bested said that on Nov. 13, the DA and city already awarded 54 chest freezers to various local beneficiaries.

He said that the freezer vans will be used to transport agricultural commodities such as meat products, fruits and vegetables from farms in the Summer Capital to the public market.

“The project aims to ensure safe distribution and handling of both local and imported chilled and frozen meat in the wet markets and other meat outlets in the city,” Bested explained.

He said that based on existing food safety rules, imported frozen meat and meat products may only be sold in wet markets that have proper refrigeration systems or equipment.

“The outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the country that started in July 2019 and is still being experienced until now, is greatly affecting the spike in prices of local pork due to the reduction of supply,” Bested claimed.

To ensure the availability of the supply of pork and stabilize its price, he said, imported frozen pork has been widely distributed in wet markets and supermarket outlets.

The DA through the Bureau of Plant Industry partnered with the city government for the subsidy program that seeks to modernize wet market refrigeration systems through the provision of chest freezers and freezer vans, Bested said. – Gaby B. Keith