Photo courtesy of DA-11.
About 25 tons of fresh fruits from Davao Region were shipped to Metro Manila as the Department of Agriculture expanded market access for Mindanao farmers through its Kadiwa on Wheels program.
The shipment, dispatched Friday, included durian, mangosteen, pomelo and other produce harvested from farms in Calinan District in Davao City.
Consumers will first get access to the shipment at the DA central office in Quezon City from Sept. 1 to 3 before the Kadiwa on Wheels moves to Kartilya ng Katipunan in Manila on Sept. 4.
DA-Davao Regional Director Macario Gonzaga said the initiative connects farmers directly with consumers outside Mindanao while opening additional markets for their harvests.
“We are bringing the region’s bountiful harvests closer to consumers outside Mindanao while giving farmer-producers wider market opportunities for their produce,” Gonzaga said.
After Metro Manila, the program is scheduled to bring Davao produce to Cebu City from Sept. 10 to 16 and Baguio City from Sept. 25 to 28.
Another selling activity is scheduled at the World Trade Center in Pasay City from Oct. 8 to 10. Participating trader Al-Hadj Benjamin Musa said prices would be comparable to those in Davao.
The DA said the initiative forms part of efforts to strengthen market linkages and provide local growers with more opportunities to sell their produce beyond the region.