CEBU CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Central Visayas has linked a farmers' association from the southern Cebu town of Dalaguete, considered as the provincial food basket here, to a buyer in Cebu City in marketing their farm produce.
The DA-7, through the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), signed an agreement with the Ulay Agro Industrial Enterprises (UAI) and the Dumalan Farmers' Association Inc. (DUMFA) of Dalaguete for the marketing of the latter's vegetable produce.
UAI is a Cebu City-based vegetable trader that will directly market the agricultural produce of DUMFA through the DA-7's Kadiwa markets.
The big brother-small brother partnership is a way of helping small farmers (small brother) market their products directly to a big brother (buyer).
In a statement on Saturday, DA-7 regional executive director Salvador Diputado expressed his support for the initiative of UAI to be part of the Kadiwa on Wheels.
AMAD's Market Development Section chief Dave Amrinto said the DA-7 will provide technical assistance and support to UAI during their Kadiwa implementation.
UAI will serve as the big brother being the consolidator of the produce of the farmers’ association.
"Aside from being the marketing arm of DUMFA, they (UAI) will also provide the farmers with farm input assistance and trainings," Amrinto said.
UAI will pick-up the produce of their small brother farmers from Barangay Dumalan and market these through the Kadiwa on Wheels, which they will manage.
For the farmers, they have to ensure the stable supply of vegetables needed by the trader.
Amrinto said that through this big brother-small brother tandem, both parties are helping each other in this time of the pandemic. (PNA)