Agri biz group pushes for P100-M logistics project

The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (Pcafi) is pushing for a container logistics project to address supply disruptions due to the ongoing rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge.

In a statement on Thursday, the Pcafi appealed to the government to invest in container or reefer barge terminals in underutilized ports of key food-producing islands. This is to ensure the smooth flow of commodities and lower inter-island food prices, even in key metro areas of the country.

According to Pcafi, the proposed project would resolve supply bottlenecks caused by the bridge’s repair. It would also provide long-term solutions to the fragmented supply chain in island provinces.

“The project will facilitate easier inbound of key food items like rice, canned goods, and farm inputs like animal feeds and fertilizers to Samar while allowing better ship-out of raw materials like fresh or dehusked coconuts for processing, bananas and even coffee and ube,” it added.

The Pcafi said the project, which can be built in the Philippine Ports Authority’s (PPA) underutilized San Isidro Ferry Port in Northern Samar, will relieve pressure on roll-on, roll-off operations (RoRo) in the island province.

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“Modern dry and reefer container logistics are essential for access to production inputs and export markets. Reefer container logistics is especially important for high-value frozen seafood and aquaculture, frozen meat and chilled fruits,” Pcafi president Danilo Fausto said.

Such a project would cost up to P100 million. It involves reconfiguring the San Isidro port.