The Department of Agriculture (DA) has launched market matching which will help farmers and fishermen find buyers for their products.
“‘Yung market matching, isa po siya sa mga tulong na pwedeng ipagkaloob ng inyong Department of Agriculture,” DA Assistant Director of Agribusiness and Marketing Dennis Arpia said.
Market matching is a process where products are matched with market segments that are most likely to purchase them, and aims to increase the income of farmers and fishermen, and lower prices for buyers.
“Marami po tayon pamamaraan ng market matching. Halimbawa po ang Kadiwa ay siyang paraan ng market matching. Bagamat ito rin po ay isang tindahan kung saan pwedeng magtinda ‘yung ating mga farmers’ cooperatives,” he said.
Kadiwa is a market system that sells agricultural goods at reasonably low prices to help poor Filipino households.
The Ani at Kita Kadiwa program is a collaborative project between the DA, Department of Interior and Local Government, and Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC).
The project aims to establish a direct link between the farmers and fisherfolk and the consuming public.
“Para po higit na mapalaki yung kita nung ating magsasaka at mangingisda sa paraang nababawasan yung multiple layers ng traders,” Arpia said.
“Una, kailangan po’y magkatugma ‘yung pangangailangan nung bibili at ‘yung ipo-produce nung ating mga market at saka nung ating mga mangingisda at saka nung ating mga magsasaka.”
The price and quality must be established as well as the quantity and the volume of requirement.
“Kaya po kami namamagitan, kaya andiyan ang DA para everybody is happy pagdating sa presyo…[At] wala pong bayad ang market matching activity ng DA,” Arpia said.
All fishermen and farmers are free to join the DA’s market matching activity.
“Tuloy-tuloy na activity ang market matching. ‘Yung mga na-report pa lamang po ng region for that matter is around 200 million n apo ang ating na-facilitate na nai-market matching,” he said.
“Ang habol po talaga natin dito ay hindi ‘yung one time na sila ay mapangiti natin. Kundi, ang gusto po natin dito ay ma-fuel yung kanilang energy para lumaban pa,” he added.
The DA is aiming to build at least one Kadiwa store per city all across the country.
Fishermen and farmers may sell their products in any Kadiwa store near them. (DA, PTV)/PG-rir
