URDANETA CITY–Vegetable and pork trading at the central market here has significantly slowed down, an indication that the global financial crisis has finally hit home.

Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. already expressed concern over the plight of both the wholesale dealers and the retailers as consumers spend less due to their decreased purchasing power.

The Bagsakan Market here serves as a major vegetable trading hub between producers from Pangasinan and Baguio and buyers from other provinces as well as the capital Metro Manila.

Perez said the normal 10 to 12 truckloads of Baguio vegetables that are easily disposed of in one to two hours have been sitting longer in the market.

Also, the average 45 to 50 pigs slaughtered at the city abattoir has gone down by as much as 20 percent, Perez said.

“Lesser people are buying meat because most have no money to buy,” he said.

Perez also noted that fewer businessmen have been getting or renewing their business permits this year.

The first three weeks of January is normally a busy time for business permit renewals but Perez said this year only about 30 percent have so far secured necessary licenses.

To help the city’s businessmen, Perez said tax rates have been decreased from 50 percent of gross sales to only 10 to 25 percent.

The local government will also be more prudent in its spending as it anticipates lesser income this year.

“I feel that the worst will not yet be over in 2009 with the global crisis getting worse,” the mayor said.

Meanwhile, Perez said the city government is intensifying its vegetable seeds distribution program to barangays and schools to promote backyard farming.#

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