Produce platform to support Philippine’s poor expanded

The Philippines’ Department of Agriculture has announced it is to ramp up its Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita (Kadiwa) programme to serve more poor urban households during the country’s lockdown. Launched in 2019, Kadiwa is a market system for selling fresh produce at lower prices to help the poor. According to the Department of Agriculture, the programme will feature a multi-platform system, which includes a Kadiwa Express and a Kadiwa Online division.

Agriculture secretary, William D Dar, said that the move is part of a response to some of the problems islands have been facing receiving regular supplies of food during the recent crisis: “We are making some adjustments in our Kadiwa programme, using simple and technological solutions, to ensure the continuous and unhampered supply of fresh produce to consumers, particularly those in metropolitan areas. Through Kadiwa, even during this crisis, we can be sure that farmers get the best prices for their goods, while providing adequate, access affordable, safe, and nutritious food to the consumers.”

The Kadiwa Express is a private-public link-up to transport and distribute fresh produce to designated drop-off points in Metro Manila. Farmers may sell their produce to cooperatives, associations and trading centres in Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Benguet and Quezon provinces. From there, Kadiwa Express personnel will facilitate the transport of products to offloading points, where local governments can collect orders.

Photo: Metro News Central