Rep. Wilbert T. Lee of AGRI party-list group said the initial success of the Department of Agriculture (DA) program is a “proof of concept” that should convince House leaders to prioritize the passage of a measure that will institutionalize the agribusiness and marketing initiative intended to help link local farmers and fishers directly to consumers.
Lee, principal author of House Bill No. 3957 or the Kadiwa Agri-Food Terminal Act, made the statement with the government aggressively pursuing the establishment of Kadiwa centers around the country.
Lee pointed out that “data from the DA shows that by April 2021, 41,357 farmers had already benefited from the Kadiwa program, generating sales of 7.241 billion pesos and serving nearly 4 million households.”
Filed by Lee in August 2022, the Kadiwa Agri-Food Terminal Act aims to scale up the Kadiwa food terminal model and effectively promote the growth of the local agricultural markets while providing consumers with affordable agriculture and fisheries products.
“Once rolled out in every city and municipality, these agri-food terminals and centers can serve as a location where local farmers and fisherfolk can sell their goods directly to the consumers and the general market,” explained Lee, who stressed that prices in Kadiwa centers should be lower by 10 to 20 percent “since bringing the products won’t entail high transportation costs.”
The proposed measure mandates local government units (LGUs) to establish Kadiwa Agri-food terminals in their localities in one of the following modes:
*Kadiwa Retail or Direct Selling: physical food terminals to accommodate farmers and fisherfolk products for sale to customers and food suppliers
*Kadiwa on Wheels: rolling stores in vehicles to bring agri-fishery products to barangays and villages
*Kadiwa sa Pamahalaan: trading centers within the proximity of the government’s property office through partnership with the DA or other government agency within the LGU.
The government recently expanded the Kadiwa initiative on July 17 when President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. led the nationwide launching of “Kadiwa ng Pangulo” in San Fernando, Pampanga.
The launch was formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (M O A) with national government agencies, including the Department of the Interior and Local Government, to assist LGUs and to facilitate the establishment of Kadiwa centers in their respective jurisdictions.
The President, who concurrently sits as DA Secretary, said the MOA signing is part of his administration’s whole-of-nation approach to strengthening the agriculture sector to aid the country’s economic recovery.