The Department of Lands and Natural Resources has notified the Saipan Farmers Cooperative Association to stop its use of the public market facility in Garapan.<\/p>\n
In a letter addressed to co-op president Frica Pangelinan, DLNR Secretary Richard Seman said that the co-op must \u201cimmediately cease and desist\u201d its use of and operations at the Garapan Public Market.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has come to my attention that there is no agreement in place between the Department and the Saipan Farmers Cooperative Association for the use of the Garapan Public Market Facility,\u201d Seman wrote.<\/p>\n
Seman also noted that it is in his \u201cunderstanding that the co-op is not currently operating the market.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst things first, we need the agreement,\u201d Seman told Saipan Tribune in a phone interview.<\/p>\n
Seman said they cannot proceed forward with any operation until an agreement is in place.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need that signed as soon as possible in order for them to continue operations,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Seman said there was a prior agreement but it hasn\u2019t been signed yet and that part of their concern is that, in the absence of an agreement, \u201csome of the existing operation there is not supposed to be happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnder the current agreement arrangement, it does not allow for others to operate within the co-op because technically, the co-op is operating under the government\u2019s jurisdiction,\u201d Seman said.<\/p>\n
In the letter, Seman also stated that the Marianas Meat Harvesting Group must also immediately cease and desist its use of the market.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Department has not authorized their use and, as just discussed, there is no agreement in place that authorizes the co-op to permit their use,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n
As the market was originally intended for the sale of local produce and locally caught fish, DLNR said it needs to determine whether local meat can also be sold at the market.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat fresh meat is sold by different companies operating like a regular retail store and that\u2019s not consistent because it\u2019s not run by the co-op,\u201d Seman said.<\/p>\n
Seman said they don\u2019t like companies to operate within the building to occur in the absence of an agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not saying that it couldn\u2019t happen, it can. But we wanted to make sure that we have an agreement signed and from there we can go and start entertaining the other interested individuals and parties that would like to participate within the co-op itself,\u201d Seman said.<\/p>\n
Asked for comment, Pangelinan told Saipan Tribune that she hasn\u2019t seen the letter dated Oct. 27, 2015 yet. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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