The CNMI Farmer\u2019s Cooperative Association, which operates the Garapan Public Market, is looking at holding their first general membership meeting before the end of the year, according to co-op president Maria \u201cFrica\u201d Pangelinan.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is about time that we get the membership involved and elect new officers. We are targeting before the end of the year,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Is she looking to step down? While her services are always available if needed, Pangelinan said \u201cit\u2019s about time\u201d for others to take over take the helm.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can still help and advise,\u201d she said. \u201cMy heart is in this. We just need cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Garapan Public Market has been beset by woes since it opened in August this year. According to some co-op officials, poor timing might be responsible for these. The market began during a wet season that was tough on crops, they claimed. Secondly, they are still waiting for the promised $57,000 from the Legislature. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are hoping to survive until January or February,\u201d said Pangelinan. \u201cWe just need capital from the Legislature.\u201d <\/p>\n
The cooperative had asked the Saipan and Northern Islands delegation for $57,000 in September to address operational costs and to help purchase a much-needed chiller for their produce.<\/p>\n
Ike Concepcion, the co-op\u2019s treasurer, said they have received \u201cno word\u201d from lawmakers since then.<\/p>\n
A price quotation provided by a local supplier lists a \u201cLaselle\u201d brand four-door stainless reach-in chiller at $2,745, and a six-door one at $3,745.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we have the chiller for now, I think we can survive,\u201d Pangelinan said. It doesn\u2019t matter, she said, if she rallies all the Chinese farmers on island for bananas if half of the produce were to rot.<\/p>\n
On profit, she said, \u201cSales pay for itself.\u201d But added they have paid all the farmers who\u2019ve supplied inventory on time.<\/p>\n
Pangelinan said she is hesitant to promote the market aggressively because of their nearly empty produce shelves. <\/p>\n
As for the Sabalu Market, Pangelinan labels it as \u201ccompetitors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the decision the government will have to make. We don\u2019t have to be here if they want the Sabalu Market. It\u2019s 20 people benefiting on their own personal interest versus a community-benefiting, centralized operation that will be a lot of help to government with data and production,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Concepcion stepped down as treasurer of the Sabulu Market board on Nov. 1, he said, to focus on the Garapan Public Market. He said he \u201ccould not take both sides.\u201d<\/p>\n
Isidoro Cabrera, the co-op\u2019s secretary, affirmed that he is also no longer affiliated with Sabalu Market. <\/p>\n
The main reason the Sabalu Market will not move to the Garapan Public Market is because the food vendors prefer the current location, Concepcion said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t want to come here,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The CNMI Farmer\u2019s Cooperative Association, which operates the Garapan Public Market, is looking at holding…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[42,541,67],"class_list":["post-185282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news","tag-food","tag-northern-islands","tag-people"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185282\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}