Farmer cooperatives and agency partners got to showcase and sell products at lower prices since there are no middlemen involved.

MANILA — The Department of Agriculture (DA) officially opened the first Kadiwa ng Pangulo Expo at the PICC Tent in Pasay City on Tuesday.

Farmer cooperatives and agency partners got to showcase and sell products at lower prices since there are no middlemen involved.

Prices of goods sold in the expo are typically 20 percent lower compared to the prevailing prices in the market because of the streamlining of the value chain, which eliminated several layers of traders. 

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. also promised logistical support for farmers, especially those from Visayas and Mindanao. This will lead to lower vegetable prices, which are known to spike after typhoons and reduce reliance on imports.

"Ang cost ng transpo from Mindanao to Metro Manila nasa P3-5 per kilo so mababawas yun," Tiu Laurel Jr. said.

(The cost of transporting goods from Mindanao to Metro Manila is at P3-5 per kilo, so it will be chopped off the retail price.)

Tiu Laurel also said the DA plans to put a digital information system to help farmers know transport schedules, which will ease the burden of sending their harvests to the big Metro Manila market of consumers.

"Malalaman ng farmer sa Mindanao ano ang presyo sa Balintawak, Munoz, Guadalupe. Then makakaplano na sila ng dadalhin doon. Then meron na tayo matatawag na food train," he said. 

(Farmers in Mindanao will know the prevailing prices in Balintawak, Munoz, and Guadalupe. They can plan which goods to send. And we will have a food train.) 

Farmers were also delighted to have easier access to consumers since it also increased their profits.

"Kapag direkta sila bumibili, mga partner, nadadagdagan kita namin ng 25-30 percent compared sa mga traders. Halimbawa sa saging, binebenta dito ng P25, kapag trader bibilhin lang ng P15," said Robert Buayaban, a farmer from Libmanan, Camarines Sur. 

(When consumers directly buy from us, our profits increase by 25-30%. For example, we can sell bananas at 25 pesos. Traders get them from us for only P15 pesos.) 

"Panalo na mga customer, panalo rin mga farmer," he added. 

(Both consumers and farmers win.) 

The Department aims to increase the number of Kadiwa stores to 1,500 across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao by the end of the Marcos administration.

The Kadiwa Expo in PICC Tent is open until November 28.