Metro Manila food lane set; Benguet veggies take test run
by Jerry James M. de la Torre (December 4, 2004)
With the food lane project, fast food takes on an expanded meaning: faster, unobstructed delivery of fresh vegetables and other perishable agricultural products from the farm in the provinces to Metro Manila.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) and its line agencies, in collaboration with the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the local government of Benguet, vegetable producers, haulers and retailers, have launched recently the food lane project through a maiden run of 15 trucks from La Trinidad, Benguet vegetable trading post to Divisoria wet market in Manila. Each truck was carrying 8 tons of fresh assorted vegetables.
The food lane is an expressway from the farm to the market that provides faster delivery of perishable products. Delivery trucks of perishable goods are accredited and exempted from checkpoints. To be easily identified, they will be tagged with food lane stickers. In effect, product cost is lowered and farmers get greater savings and income. Before, delivery trucks shell out P1,000 to 1,200 to get past flag downs along Benguet-Manila line.