The Kadiwa on Wheels of the Agripreneur Farmers & Producers Association of Libmanan, Camarines Sur continuously participates in national caravans at the National Capital Region.
Dubbed Kadiwa ng Pasko, the said caravan was launched by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in December 2022. It is a marketing initiative of the government that will continue to assist the Filipino people even after the Christmas season.
Robert Buayaban, President of the Agripreneur Farmers & Producers Association said that his association’s Kadiwa on Wheels has been at DA Central Office, Malacañang Park and Novaliches over the weekend. On Monday (Jan. 16), the Bicolano entrepreneurs will be in Caloocan.
Kadiwa is the brainchild of the DA, established to provide urban residents with fresh food items at lower prices. It also gives food producers an opportunity to be agri-preneurs and directly sell their fresh harvests.
Kadiwa has been implemented by the Department of Agriculture intensively since the start of the pandemic in 2020 to ensure food accessibility, affordability, and availability; likewise, to protect the consumers against fluctuation of prices of agricultural commodities.
For the whole year 2022, a total of 2,732 metric tons (MT) of agricultural commodities worth P156 Million were traded in Bicol through the Kadiwa program which benefitted 507,292 Bicolanos.
At present, there are 30 Kadiwa retail outlets and Kadiwa on Wheels operating in the Bicol Region. There are 19 Kadiwa outlets or mobile Kadiwa in Cam. Sur, four (4) in Cam. Norte, three (3) in Albay, one (1) in Masbate, and three (3) in Sorsogon.
These kadiwa outlets and kadiwa on wheels are buying farmers’ produce and selling basic and agricultural commodities at prices generally lower than prevailing market prices.
Available products include rice, sugar, cooking oil, pork, chicken, fresh fish, dried fish, canned goods, fruits, vegetables, rootcrops, processed agricultural products and other basic commodities.
According to Adelina A. Losa, Chief of the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), there were 46 beneficiaries of KADIWA Financial Grant Assistance Program such as Farmers and Fisherfolk Cooperative and Association (FCAs) and Local Government Units (LGUs) that were provided with a total of P53,850,000.00 from 2020 to 2022 to finance their retail and distribution activities (trading/working capital), procurement of transport/delivery vehicle and/or purchase of produce, machinery or equipment. (Lovella P. Guarin)