THE Ilocos Norte Agricultural Trading Center in Batac is now ready to serve food producers in the province.
A partnership between the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Batac city government, the P60-million facility aims to provide farmers with a centralized hub to market their produce, improving their income and reducing post-harvest losses.
According to the DA, the province’s first and largest agricultural trading center is designed to consolidate, display, and efficiently distribute farm products, expanding opportunities for farmers, cooperatives, and traders.
The DA contributed P30 million for the construction and market logistics, while the city government allocated P30 million for road access improvements and development of the surrounding areas.
The collaboration demonstrates a model of national-local partnership in agriculture development, providing infrastructure that supports equitable and efficient market access.
Ilocos Norte Gov. Cecilia Araneta-Marcos emphasized the center’s role in promoting sustainable agriculture and enhancing farmers’ livelihoods.
“The provincial government continues its commitment to Serbisio a Mapagtalkan (Service You Can Trust) by supporting initiatives that strengthen agriculture and uplift our farmers,” Araneta-Marcos said.
Vice Gov. Matthew Marcos Manotoc, who initiated the project, said the center directly connects farmers with institutional buyers, eliminating middlemen and ensuring fairer prices for food producers.
“This facility allows our farmers to engage with responsible buyers and expand their market reach,” Manotoc said.
The trading center is equipped with hauling trucks, weighing scales, crates, and pallets, and is situated on a 1,716-square-meter site in Barangay Bil-loca near the Batac City Public Market.
Once fully operational, the DA said the trading center is set to become the province’s central hub for agriculture-based trade, boosting cooperative capacity, streamlining distribution, and reinforcing Ilocos Norte’s role as a leading food producer in Northern Luzon.
Farmer-leader Wilfredo Valdez of Pasuquin expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “The opening of the center is a big deal for us farmers. We now have a convenient place to market our products.”
Onion growers in his town have committed at least 100 tons of white onions for Jollibee Foods Corp., with surplus produce directed to the trading center for other buyers.
During the inauguration, DA, provincial, and city officials signed a memorandum of agreement to formalize the facility’s management.
Lease contracts and agreements with farmers’ cooperatives and associations were also signed to ensure smooth operations.