House bill to expand Kadiwa agri-food terminals
TO provide farmers and fishers a venue to market and trade their products at affordable prices, AGRI Party-list Representative Wilbert T. Lee filed a measure to establish Kadiwa agri-food terminals in every city and municipality in the country.
Under House Bill (HB) No. 3957 or the “Kadiwa Agri-Food Terminal Act”, AGRI aims to institutionalize a program to create a nationwide system of agricultural and fisheries food terminals.
According to Lee, this is an endeavor for the higher mobility of locally produced products to the whole country at a cheaper cost and also to alleviate the high prices of basic commodities amid the problem of inflation.
“In line with the clear direction of the current administration to prioritize helping our agriculture and fisheries workers and make food products affordable, it is clear how scaling up the Kadiwa initiative in many regions across the country can be a concrete and immediate intervention to the food crisis we face,” Lee said.
“Sa harap ng nagtataasang presyo ng gasolina at mga pangunahing bilihin, napakalaking tulong at biyaya ng Kadiwa centers na malapit sa komunidad. May napagbebentahan agad ng produkto ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda nang hindi na kailangang bumiyahe nang malayo, habang ang mamimili ay may madaling access sa mas mura at masustansyang pagkain,” he added.
The “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita Program” is the agribusiness and marketing initiative of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to help link local farmers and fishermen directly to consumers. Prices in Kadiwa are cheaper by 10 to 20 percent.
Under this measure, the DA, in close coordination with the local government units (LGUs), is mandated to establish and manage agri-food terminals and shall select among the following modes:
a) Kadiwa Retail or Direct Selling – establishing physical food terminals to accommodate farmers’ and fisherfolks’ products for sale to customers and food suppliers;
b) Kadiwa on Wheels – using rolling stores in vehicles to bring agri-fishery products to barangays and villages;
c) Kadiwa sa Pamahalaan – establishing trading centers within the proximity of the government’s property/office through a partnership with DA or other government agencies within the LGU.
If enacted into law, an amount of P25 billion will be appropriated for the initial year of implementation of the program, and P10 billion will be included in the DA budget for its implementation and continued expansion.
“Through this measure, we also liberate farmers from the control of unscrupulous traders and middlemen. Talo ang mga mapanlamang na middleman. Panalo naman ang mga magsasaka, mangingisda, pati na ang mga mamimili—sa mas malaking kita at mas murang mga bilihin,” said Lee.
