The Department of Agriculture (DA) has linked about 129,833 metric tons of agricultural commodities produced by farmers and fishermen to operating Kadiwa stores in the Mimaropa region, with sales of ₱8.3 million in 2023.
Regional Executive Director Christopher Bañas said that the department is continuously boosting the establishment of Kadiwa stores, where farmers’ cooperatives directly sell their products. The project aims to ensure that commodities are available and accessible in areas of high consumer demand.
It also helped to link agricultural producers to their target market during the height of the pandemic, where movements were restricted.
“Pinarami rin natin ang Kadiwa stores, kung saan ang mga kooperatiba mismo ng mga magsasaka ang siyang nag bebenta sa kanya-kanyang mga aning gulay at iba’t ibang produkto,” Bañas said during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas on Tuesday, June 18.
There are nine operating Kadiwa stores in the region, and the department plans to open an additional seven stores dubbed “Kadiwa Centers” in the region in 2024. Its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAD) also considers putting stores in all towns in Mimaropa.
Aside from linking producers to markets, DA also empowers farmers and fishermen through its clustering program, wherein their dependency on middlemen will be lessened.
In the region, there are 135 clustered areas with 8,731 clustered farmers and fishermen on 9,413 covered hectares.
“Sinusulong din ang farm and fisheries clustering program kung saan layunin nito na pagsama-samahin ang maliliit na mga magsasaka upang makamit nila ang economy upscale o maabot ang dami ng demand ng mercado sa mas efficient na pamamaraan,” he said.
Growth in yield
In comparison with 2022 production, the region has surpassed its record for 2023 in hybrid corn with a 5.05 percent increase from 4.48 MT harvested corn. It is equivalent to 4.71 MT in yield.
It also showed the same growth as hybrid rice planted on 140,350 hectares of land in the provinces of Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan, with a yield of 1.2 MT.
Bañas cited the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), recording 50,000 MT production in the third quarter of 2023 for various high-value crops, which is equivalent to an 879 percent sufficiency level. The calamansi fruit posted a 682 percent sufficiency level with a production of 34,000 MT.
Alongside the growth in production, DA also observed that farmers’ access to machinery also increased. The department has distributed a total of 537 units of machinery in the region.
“Ang ating mechanization level sa Mimaropa ay tumaas, nasa 2.2 hp/hectare—ibig sabihin ay tumaas na ang kakayahan na makapag-produce ng ating mga magsasaka ng mas may dekalidad na produkto sa maikling panahon dahil may access na sila sa makinaryang pangsaka at modernong pasilidad,” he said.
About 96 farm-to-market roads and 211 facilities for farm production and postharvest, such as a school garden, Gulayan sa Barangay, warehouse, processing facility shed, animal housing, and greenhouses, were constructed by the department. (RG/PIA MIMAROPA-Palawan)
