President Marcos is considering allocating a P1 billion budget to enhance the country’s cold storage system, which is expected to significantly benefit farmers and small agriculture merchants.
Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. disclosed that the additional funding would be used to establish solar and modular cold storage in farms, and create a comprehensive cold chain system.
“I’m pleased to share that the President has agreed to provide extra support for cold storage as part of the Kadiwa program,” he said during an inspection visit at a Kadiwa store in Mandaluyong City, Friday.
The initiative is part of the government’s ongoing Kadiwa program, which aims to connect farmers directly to consumers.
“This is not official yet. But he (President Marcos) has consented to release P1 billion for the program to assist farmers, particularly those involved in high-value crops, such as those in Mindoro, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and smaller units along the way,” the DA secretary said.
He explained that the goal is to create a complete system that eliminates the need to wait for the rollout of Kadiwa stores to sell produce and also serves as a buffer stock.
Tiu Laurel added that the next step would be to address logistics and trucking issues to facilitate efficient food trade.
By improving cold storage facilities, the government hopes to drastically reduce food waste and agricultural losses.
Tiu Laurel expressed optimism that food waste could be significantly lowered year by year, with the ultimate goal of eliminating it within three years.
In addition to the cold storage initiative, the DA is also working to expand the Kadiwa network.
The department plans to open 20 new Kadiwa stores this week and is finalizing plans to establish a total of 169 stores by the end of the year. The long-term goal is to reach 1,500 Kadiwa locations nationwide.
