BAGUIO CITY – Standing by its commitment of enabling the public to buy goods at cheaper rates through the creation of a direct and efficient farm-to-consumer food supply chain, a KADIWA on Wheels was conducted last February 24 at the National Economic Development Authority-Cordillera (NEDA-CAR) compound servicing the immediate community in the area.
KADIWA is a marketing initiative of the Department of Agriculture (DA), implemented through the Agribusiness and Marketing Division (AMAD) which seeks to empower the farming community by providing a direct and effective farm-to-consumer food supply chain.
With its objective of promoting agribusiness investment opportunities, programs and projects implemented by DA-CAR as well as its attached agencies, this KADIWA event accumulated PhP 52,300 in sales of various commodities and products with rice having the highest sale recorded at PhP22,425.
Jean Mayos, AMAD marketing specialist, explained that the farmers’ cooperative associations (FCAs) in the region that supplied the commodities and products sold during the said event gained profit from the sales of their products including representatives from the Young Farmers Challenge.
“The role of DA Cordillera in the conduct of KADIWA is to assist and coordinate with the various members of FCAs in the region prior and during the said activity. Just recently, we conducted a similar activity in Sagada, Mountain Province during the 10th staging of the Etag Festival which was also well received by the public wanting to access quality, safe, and affordable agri-fishery products at a lower price,” Mayos said.
The model eliminates as many marketing layers, allowing producers to earn bigger from directly selling their produce instead of using trader-intermediaries, reducing marketing expenses, and making fresh and quality products more affordable for consumers.
The participating suppliers for this event were from the FED CO, Episcopal Diocese of Northern Luzon, Lam Organica, Loakan Organic Farmers Association, Ryan’s Dried Fish, and the YFC.
Interested parties seeking the services of KADIWA are encouraged to write a request letter addressed to DA-RFO CAR Regional Executive Director Cameron Odsey indicating the specific area where the proposed rolling store would be set-up provided that it would be accessible to the community to be served.
DA-CAR through the AMAD will conduct a visual inspection to determine if the area would be viable for the setting-up of a KADIWA, aside from coordinating with FCAs that would be invited to supply the agricultural products to be sold during the conduct of the KADIWA event.
Prior to this event, DA-CAR provided two KADIWA retail stalls in the municipal hall compound of Sagada, Mountain Province coinciding with the 10th Etag Festival of Sagada.
