Farmers and agricultural stakeholders are being urged to consolidate output and adopt backhaul logistics to help stabilize food prices and cut fuel use amid the ongoing energy crisis, according to FAST Logistics Group.
The company is set to roll out a farm-to-market initiative in Aritao in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry–Supply Chain and Logistics Group, DTI Nueva Vizcaya, the Aritao local government, and agri-tech firms Agro-DigitalPH and Mayani. The program aims to directly connect farmers with institutional buyers while maximizing backhaul logistics, which uses trucks’ return trips to carry additional cargo.
Manuel L. Onrejas Jr., CEO for Logistics at FAST, said improving backhaul efficiency offers an immediate solution to rising costs. “In the face of rising fuel prices and food insecurity, strengthening backhaul logistics is an immediate and practical solution. Every empty return trip is a missed opportunity to move essential goods and ease cost pressures on consumers,” he said.
About 70 percent of trucks in the Philippines currently return empty after deliveries, inflating transport costs and widening supply chain gaps. These inefficiencies are reflected in retail prices, with food in urban centers often costing up to three times farmgate rates.
Under the initiative, an e-fulfillment and logistics hub in Aritao will help smallholder farmers meet institutional standards and reduce reliance on intermediaries.
Leveraging FAST’s fleet of more than 3,100 trucks and its nationwide warehouse network, the program aims to move produce efficiently from Nueva Vizcaya to Metro Manila while expanding farmers’ access to supermarkets, hotels, and restaurants.
Onrejas underscored the need for coordination across the supply chain. “Through closer collaboration, we can build a more efficient and resilient system that safeguards the interests of both farmers and consumers,” he said.
