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| PBBM's directive has DA directly connecting food producers to consumers and institutional buyers, increasing farmers' and fishers' income, and eliminating middlemen. Photo: DA |
In accordance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s vision to increase the income of farmers and fishers, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has taken steps to directly connect food producers with consumers and institutional buyers.
The Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS)-led market linkage initiative has already resulted in the sale of P2.589 million in onions by farmers' cooperatives and associations (FCAs) from September 2022 to January 2023. The FCAs have benefited from the DA-supported Kadiwa trucks and vans in hauling and delivering their produce to markets and large buyers.
One recipient of the DA's support, RiceUp, and Sakahon farmers' enterprises have received a P1.325 million four-wheel truck and a P1-million financial grant through the DA's Enhanced Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita program. RiceUp and Sakahon aim to create a system where farmers know what the market needs before planting and harvesting. They regularly sell their produce at the DA Kadiwa outlet in Quezon City.
In January 2023, 1.5 tons of onions priced at P240/kilogram for big sizes and P140/kilogram for small sizes were brought to the DA Kadiwa and the Senate by Elvin Jerome Laceda of RiceUp and Bayambang farmers.
Laceda, who has been helping farmers in Bayambang for two years, emphasizes the importance of buying produce with justice, where farmers receive the value of their products, which is affordable for consumers.
President Marcos announced last year his intention to turn the Kadiwa project into a national program in collaboration with local government units to provide the public with more affordable and high-quality merchandise while also providing a market for local farmers, fishermen, and small business enterprises.
The DA, under the President's leadership, prioritizes market-driven production, farmers' access to capital, and available storage facilities, which will be a boost to the agriculture sector.
According to Laceda, "We appreciate what the DA is trying to do." The market linkage initiative is expected to significantly impact farmers' income and the agriculture sector as a whole. —iTacloban (Source: PND)