Eliminate middlemen
THE prices of onion and other agricultural commodities remain high in impoverished but natural resources-rich Philippines because of the many layers of middlemen.
Aside from the greedy hoarders, the presence of unscrupulous traders (middlemen) plays a major role in jacking up the retail prices of goods in the local market.
But it is heartening to know that the Marcos administration is doing everything to bring down the costs of goods and services in the Philippines.
We, thus, laud the government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), now headed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., for trying to eliminate the nation’s middlemen
Of course, we share the view of Agriculture Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Kristine Evangelista that the many layers of traders trigger the high cost of commodities.
She said that “as we all know, retail price includes the cost of biyaheros and the cost of the retailers,” adding “pag mura ang kuha ng mga retailer, mas mura ang presyo sa palengke.”
At the same time, the highly-articulate lady agriculture department official said the government is capacitating the various farmers’ cooperatives to take the role of middlemen.
Minimizing the number of middlemen, in the view of various quarters, is a move in the right direction as the government tries to uplift the living conditions of our farmers.
Whatever, our government officials say, there is a rising sentiment that there’s a need for everybody to work in unison to enable farmers and their dependents to eat three times a day.
Oo nga naman!
