THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Monday that it is seeking to encourage more farmer cooperative and associations (FCA) to supply products to its flagship KADIWA ng Pangulo program.
Assistant Secretary for Consumer and Legislative Affairs Genevieve E. Velicaria-Guevarra said that the DA will organize an expo to encourage more FCAs to join the program.
“Through this event, we will encourage many more farmer cooperatives to join us or become suppliers or sellers in our KADIWA ng Pangulo program,” she added.
She added that the DA is looking to partner with other government agencies like the Philippine Postal Corp. (PhilPost) for its Kadiwa expansion plans due to PhilPost’s presence in numerous municipalities.
“Logistics-wise they are in the best position to help us transport all these goods in various areas in the country,” she added.
The DA is looking to expand its KADIWA network to 1,500 locations by 2028. it is expecting to open 179 KADIWA Centers by the end of the year.
Ms. Velicaria-Guevarra said that the DA is hoping to open 300 locations by the middle of next year.
Products sold in KADIWA locations are basic and prime commodities priced at about 20% less than those charged in public markets.
KADIWA Centers also sell rice at P42 per kilogram and subsidized rice for low-income individuals at P29 per kilo.
She added that the DA is looking to expand its products to include meat.
The Kadiwa ng Pangulo Expo is scheduled for Nov. 26-28 at the Philippine International Convention Center.
The event seeks to showcase over 100 farmer exhibitors and include model hubs, centers, stores, model trucks, and carts. — Adrian H. Halili