The dissolved Northern Foods Corporation (NFC) in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, is being considered for development as an economic zone, signaling a strategic shift toward sustainable land use and regional agricultural growth.

An ecozone declaration provides investors with tax holidays and other government incentive packages.

Rona Leigh Bueno, head of the Ilocos Norte Trade and Investment Promotions Office, confirmed Monday that a private company is currently eyeing the 3.12-hectare industrial lot in Barangay San Joaquin for transformation into a multi-commodity agro-processing hub.

“We have passed the first out of two steps into the presidential proclamation of NFC as an economic zone,” Bueno said.

Since last year, the provincial government has been offering underutilized public spaces for free use or lease for up to five years to eligible developers.

The NFC, which was abolished in 2021 after it no longer served its national development purpose, is a prime candidate for this initiative.

Provincial agriculture officials emphasized that such a hub is vital for reducing post-harvest losses during surplus production of high-value crops like mango, garlic, onion, tomato and mung bean.

In preparation for the hub’s development, the Provincial Agriculture Office and the Department of Agriculture are working with farmers’ organizations to adopt clustered farming. This collaborative effort aims to centralize production databases and ensure that government interventions are properly targeted to help farmers access larger markets. (PNA)