BY MARCHEL P. ESPINA
Around P318 million worth of agri-fishery support has been given to farmers in Western Visayas as of Wednesday, Remelyn Recoter, Department of Agriculture Region 6 director, said yesterday.
The accumulated value of agri-fishery products procured, sold, and market-matched through the “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” program and local government unit-initiated procurement reached P318-million, she said.
The program aims to uplift the livelihood and income of small farmers and fisherfolk amid the global crisis, she added.
Recoter said the agency has given the necessary support to the farmers and fishers in the region through its resiliency programs in response to the pandemic.
The Kadiwa markets in the region have generated P25.947 million in the sale of agri-fishery products since the project launch in March.
Also, the DA-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division directly linked P24.359 million worth of agri-fishery commodities from organized farmers’ organizations to supply the local markets and ensure food availability and accessibility at affordable and reasonable prices in the region, she said.
“The DA continuously implements the ‘Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita’ operations in Panay and Negros Occidental in collaboration with the LGUs and other institutional partners in the region,” she said.
However, they noted a decrease in sales this week, from P1.069 million in the previous week to P951,751, due to the limited movement of agricultural supplies following fresh lockdowns.
Moreover, Recoter said the LGUs initiated agricultural commodities procurement to ensure food availability during the community quarantine period and to support the farming sector’s livelihood.
“Through these initiatives of our LGUs, 385,352 farmers and fishers all over the region had benefited,” Recoter added.
She said the different LGUs in the region purchased an estimated P267.8 million worth of assorted farm products from local farmers for their relief operations and food packs distribution.*
