The Department of Agriculture through the leadership of the Philippine President and the concurrent Secretary of Agriculture Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has been making ways to address the soaring prices of basic commodities attributed to global inflation and promote direct marketing platform of the farmers.

It is where Kadiwa ng Pangulo comes in. The program will boost farmers’ income by eliminating middlemen and enabling consumers to buy their needs at affordable prices.

Vowed to set up more Kadiwa centers across the country, the Department of Agriculture-Caraga joined the simultaneous launching of ‘Kadiwa ng Pangulo’ on July 17, 2023.

In the province of Agusan del Norte held in Capitol Compound, Butuan City, a total of 22 exhibitors from different municipalities participated in the event.

The event kicked off with a ribbon-cutting led by Agusan del Norte Vice Governor Enrico R. Corvera, other government officials, and national line agencies.

Fresh and affordable vegetables, fruits, and processed products were displayed by Kadiwa partners. Also, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) showcased their food and non-food products.  While the National Food Authority (NFA) sold rice at P25.00 per kilo.

DA-Caraga Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulation Abel F. Wagas said that through the Kadiwa ng Pangulo, farmers and fisherfolk will experience how their products are being sold directly to the consumers and creating possible market linkages, hence, further increasing their income while ensuring the access of healthy and affordable agri products.

Wagas underscored the services of DA for the farmers highlighting the importance of being involved in agribusiness through the clustering approach. He also emphasized that aside from intervention, training and technology play a vital role to empower the agri-fishery sector.

“Both training and technology are critical when we talk about empowering our farmers and fisherfolk, it is a way to meet the requirements for food that is affordable, safe, and healthy,” he said.

Seeing the potential of Kadiwa for the farmers to earn more, Agusan del Norte is set to conduct a Kadiwa Diskwento Caravan in the said province every Thursday and Friday of every last week of the month.

Jebuna Sison, one of the exhibitors from Tubay, Agusan del Norte expressed her gratefulness and said that Kadiwa is a good opportunity to showcase her farm produce.

“I am delighted because of the initiative of the President in helping us farmers to earn more. I become more excited since we will be displaying our products twice a month. I will make sure to maintain the productivity on my farm,” she vowed.

Nine LGUs also joined the remarkable event on the same day across the region in support to the simultaneous nationwide launching.

DA’s Kadiwa is a market linkage facilitation program that has removed the unnecessary layers in the trading cycle. Less middlemen adds to the selling value of the products with consumers benefitting from freshly harvested crops and other food items at fair price. It also capacitates the food growers to be agri-preneurs. (Lovely Joy L. Saludez/DA-Caraga)