Government puts up special lanes for agri producers

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is expanding the benefits extended to agricultural growers using special food lanes to transport their goods from production areas to Metro Manila markets by exempting them from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA)-imposed truck ban and the payment of the road users’ tax.

Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension executive director Ricardo Cachuela said that because the objective of setting up special food lanes for agricultural producers is to reduce time delays in transporting perishable commodities, the DA has worked out with the MMDA an arrangement allowing vehicles carrying farm produce to use special routes where they will be exempted from the truck ban and number coding scheme.

According to Cachuela, these special routes include access to the Commonwealth market area in Quezon City, via the South Luzon Expressway and the C-5 road going to Katipunan Ave., contrary to reports that farm growers do not have access to this major retail outlet using the food lanes.  

On top of freeing food lane participants from MMDA traffic restrictions, Cachuela said the DA has also entered into an arrangement with the provincial governments of Laguna, Batangas, Quezon and Cavite exempting them from paying the road users’ tax.

"The food lane project also coordinated the matter of getting truck ban exemptions for farm producers from MMDA that led to a working arrangement among truckers, the MMDA and the DA on designating specific routes for the transport of perishable goods," Cachuela said.

Under the arrangement, bonafide transporters or truckers should be accredited by the DA and the MMDA to avail themselves of exemptions from the number-coding scheme and the truck ban using the special food lanes, Cachuela said.