Agri-10-assisted market initiatives in Oro hospital generate over PhP499k in sales

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Coinciding with the observance of Nutrition Month this July, the Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao (Agri-10), through its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), generated PhP499,507.40 in total sales through its market development initiatives with Capitol University Medical Center (CUMC) in Brgy. Gusa, here.

The total sales came from the department’s KADIWA Pop-Up Stall, which earned PhP453,639.00, and a market linkage facilitated by its Market Development Section between the Balugto Hope Agroforestry Association (BHAA) and the hospital’s Nutrition and Dietetics Department, which generated PhP45,868.40 in sales through the supply of CUMC’s weekly requirements for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Held in three batches on July 1-3, 13-15, and 29-31 at the hospital lobby, the KADIWA Pop-Up Stall sold high-value crops sourced from BHAA, a farmers’ association based in Talakag, Bukidnon, together with products from other Agri-10-supported farmers’ cooperatives, associations (FCAs), and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Among the commodities sold were carrots, leafy vegetables, cucumber, chayote, and string beans, offering hospital employees, patients, and visitors access to fresh, locally produced, and reasonably priced food while connecting local farmers to a direct market.

Complementing the KADIWA activity, the market linkage enabled BHAA to regularly supply CUMC with fruits and vegetables, providing the association with a stable institutional market while reinforcing the hospital’s nutrition program.

Under the “Para sa Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas”, the Agri-10’s AMAD continues to link farmer-producers with institutional buyers, expand market opportunities for region-grown agricultural products, and help farmers earn better and more stable incomes.# (JLO/Photos supplied: AMAD-MDS)