Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 15) – The agriculture department said on Wednesday that it will buy newly harvested fruits and vegetables from farmers if no traders would take them — and sell them at a low price in Metro Manila.
In an interview with CNN Philippines’ Ruth Cabal, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said this will be their course of action if the products fail to sell in the trading centers, amid challenges in transporting goods and commodities due to the Luzon-wide lockdown.
“Doon sa mga bagsakan centers or trading centers, dadalhin ng mga farmer ang mga produkto. Ang usapan namin sa mga trading centers, kung may tone-toneladang mga vegatables and fruits na walang bibili, kami na ang magdala dito sa Metro Manila,” expounded Dar.
[Translation: At the bagsakan centers or trading centers, the farmers will bring the products. Our instruction to the trading centers is if no one buys these tons of vegatables and fruits, we will bring it to Metro Manila.]
Dar said they have partnered with several private sector groups who will bring the products to Metro Manila. They will be retailed at the department’s Katuwang sa Diwa at Gawa para sa Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita (Kadiwa) rollout stores in different barangays.
The Kadiwa stores sell products in urban areas directly from farmer-producers in the provinces and sell them to consumers at low prices.
Dar said the intervention will benefit countryside farmers directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Yung farmer production areas, dadalhin sa malalaking trading centers para doon na namin sila mas matulungan,” said Dar.
[Translation: The farmer production areas will be taken to large trading centers, so we can help them better.]
Dar said the department will strengthen the price monitoring of agricultural products, as well as continue the implementation of a price freeze in markets nationwide.
Amid the COVID-19 crisis, Dar said the country’s food supply is more than enough to meet the demand.
