FOLLOWING the positive impact of “KADIWA ni Ani at Kita” in Region-6, this initiative should continue even beyond the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).
During the first two weeks since the Region-6 office of the Department of Agriculture (DA-6) established the KADIWA markets in the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo, it had already provided the farmers with P1,514,728.78 in gross sales.
Earlier, the DA-6 started the “KADIWA ni Ani at Kita” marketing initiative to provide an income for farmers, and to make fruits, vegetables, meat and fishery products available to local consumers amid the ECQ.
The DA-6 partnered with the Negros Occidental’s Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and RU Farmers Assistance Center (RU Farm) in organizing the “Negrense: KADIWA ni Ani at Kita” to provide convenience to Bacolod City consumers.
During the first week of April alone, farmers were able to earn some P612,199.78 from marketing their products, like lowland and upland vegetables, spices, eggs, meat, and poultry products to both walk-in and home delivery clients.
As this developed, DA-6 Regional Director Remelyn Recoter underscored the support of Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson for the establishment of the KADIWA markets.
“We are happy to note that the consuming public in Bacolod City are patronizing KADIWA products, and Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that this marketing scheme will go beyond the ECQ,” Recoter says.
For his part, Ramon Uy Sr. of RU Farm appreciated the gesture of Governor Lacson in his desire to continue the initiative even beyond the ECQ.
“The initiative has already benefited the farmers in Negros Occidental because their produce are directly bought from them at fair prices and immediately transported to the KADIWA markets in Bacolod, one of which is the Negrense KADIWA at May’s Organic Garden in Barangay Pahanocoy,” says Uy.
The program not only addresses the predicaments of the farmers but as well as the marginalized sector, at the same time supporting the programs of the government in addressing issues brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic like social distancing, and making more accessible the supply of healthy food products.
“With these efforts, the citizenry can help alleviate the spread of Covid-19 better. This is also the proper time to focus more on prevention than in reaction,” Uy pointed out.
But while our initial arrangement with the DA-6 and provincial government is only to provide a venue for the KADIWA market in Barangay Pahanocoy, we were able to furnish the needed personnel for the outlet since they lack manpower when we started, he added.
RU Farm has also started consolidating the sources of agricultural produce from the farmers in the province, and will be in charge of quality control of the agri products.
It will likewise pay the farmers in cash upon the delivery of the healthy products.
After all, fresh fruits and vegetables are much healthier than instant noodles and canned goods like sardines.
“We may be solving the food crisis during the pandemic, but non-availability of healthy foods may create another problem,” Uy stressed. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
