By Tracy Cabrera
DILIMAN, Quezon City — Tollway operators have agreed to grant a one-month exemption on toll fees for trucks carrying agricultural products, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced on Tuesday, as part of efforts to ease the impact of rising fuel and transport costs.
Tiu Laurel said he expressed appreciation to toll operators for supporting government measures aimed at helping the trucking sector, which has been struggling to sustain the delivery of farm goods due to high gasoline and diesel prices.
“Yesterday, they agreed to suspend the toll fees on (agricultural) trucks for one month,” Tiu Laurel told reporters in a briefing.
He said toll operators are expected to issue official announcements on the toll fee moratorium, which will cover the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX), and the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX).
The agriculture chief also said the government is working on additional measures to improve the transport of farm goods and help shield both producers and consumers from rising prices.
“If the rate cannot be reduced, at least give priority to our agricultural goods because a truck’s waiting time to be boarded onto a roll-on/roll-off ship also degrades the quality and increases losses,” he said.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is already implementing fuel assistance programs, including ₱5,000 for farmers and ₱3,000 for fisherfolk, along with ₱2,325 cash aid under the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk (PAFF).
The DA has also requested the use of 38 trucks previously distributed to farmer cooperatives, associations, and local government units (LGUs) to help transport agricultural produce from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), especially to prevent spoilage and delivery delays.
Reports noted that vegetable farmers in Benguet and nearby provinces are currently facing oversupply and weak market demand, compounded by high transport costs.
Tiu Laurel said around 590 metric tons of agricultural produce urgently need to be transported, with five Kadiwa trucks already deployed to help move farm goods and reduce wastage.
ia/xf
