To support smallholder farmers, FAST Logistics Group and the government will establish an e-fulfillment and logistics facility in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya, enabling farmers to meet institutional requirements and reduce reliance on intermediaries.
The initiative comes amid a state of national energy emergency, which has highlighted the need to consolidate farm output and maximize backhaul logistics—using delivery trucks’ return trips to carry cargo—to improve food security and reduce fuel consumption.
The project brings together FAST, 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. It aims to link farmers directly with buyers and optimize logistics efficiency.
FAST Logistics chief executive Manuel L. Onrejas Jr. said expanding backhaul capacity would cut “empty miles” and help ease rising food prices.
“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.
FAST estimates that around 70 percent of trucks on Philippine roads return empty after deliveries, contributing to higher transport costs, supply chain gaps and higher food prices, which can reach up to three times the farmgate price in major urban centers due to multiple handling points, wastage and underutilized transport capacity.
The Aritao facility will serve as a logistics hub, helping small farmers access institutional buyers while reducing dependence on middlemen.
FAST will leverage its nationwide network—including more than 3,100 trucks and over 2 million square meters of warehouse space—to move produce efficiently from Nueva Vizcaya to Metro Manila by utilizing return trips.
Agro-DigitalPH and Mayani will assist farmers in reaching markets such as supermarkets, hotels and restaurants. Nueva Vizcaya produces around 120,000 metric tons of vegetables annually and supplies much of Luzon year-round.
Aritao’s location along key routes linking Cagayan Valley to Metro Manila makes it an ideal logistics center. Onrejas stressed the importance of public-private collaboration in managing fuel costs and stabilizing food supply chains.
