Cagayan de Oro City, May 26 – Anchored on the theme, “Pagpupugay sa Magsasaka at Mangingisda Natin, Tungo sa Sapat na Pagkain”, the agriculture department in Northern Mindanao (DA-10) joined the simultaneous nationwide celebration of the Farmers and Fisherfolk Month, during the kickoff of its weeklong conduct of Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita until this Friday at the agency grounds.

For almost three months operation, the direct marketing scheme under DA has assisted 38 exhibitors, comprising of farmer-associations, individual farmers, merchandisers and partner government agencies and served an estimated 26,718 households in the region.

Over the period, the Kadiwa has been held in 52 sites, generating sales amounting to about Php7 million.

“We are happy to note that our Kadiwa has served a two-pronged goal of providing fresh, safe, nutritious and affordable products to our consumers at the same time help producers and growers directly link their products to the market,“ Carlota S. Madriaga, Regional Technical Director for Operations of DA-10, in a recognition program dedicated for food security frontliners.

This employed marketing approach has eliminated middlemen, which pads the costs of agri-fishery products being bought by consumers, the assistant executive added.

Kadiwa, now institutionalized within CdeO City, will be heading out to the different barangays for the week, including Macabalan, Gusa, Macasandig, Kauswagan, Indahag, Patag, Agusan and Iponan.

Highlight of the activity include the signing of Memorandum of Agreement between DA-10 and the Department of Agriculture Multi-Purpose Cooperative (DAMPC) for the Kadiwa online market, another marketing platform which paves much ease and convenience of bringing agri-fishery products right at the doorsteps of consumers.

“We have partnered with DA-10 through its suppliers. Basically, we will deliver the orders of our consumers either thru call or Facebook, especially for those who cannot possibly go out of their homes to market,” Larry E. Paraluman, DAMPC chair explained.

Likewise, a minimal delivery fee will be charged to cover reasonable costs for transportation of the goods, the DAMPC chair detailed, adding that food packages can be delivered on the same day orders are placed while bulk orders can take up about two to three days to be delivered.

Citing such development, RTD Madriaga also recognized that this has been the result of the overwhelming response ranging from the consumers, the local governments across Region 10, especially the farmers and fisherfolk.

“We would like to thank our suppliers, who have been with us in our Kadiwa from its inception until now. In the process, consumers have reaped benefits in availing agri-fishery products at farmgate prices while farmer- and fisher-producers can sell directly to their consumers, even some of whom have initially thought will be difficult to do amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” the DA-10 official remarked.

On top of the agency’s assistance in terms of marketing endeavors via Kadiwa, she also assured the department’s continuous support to them, especially amid the ongoing health crisis such as the distribution of assorted vegetable and corn seeds under the Plant, Plant, Plant program, dispersal of livestock and poultry, provision of rice and fertilizers under the Rice Resiliency Project, farm machineries and equipment, among others. #