QC ‘Fresh Market’ good for farmers

THE QUEZON CITY government launched “Fresh Market” every weekend at the Quezon Memorial Circle to provide additional livelihood to farmers and give local residents access to affordable farm produce.

Mayor Josefina Belmonte and Kaya Natin Movement initiated the weekend market, a farmer- to- consumer program that serves as venue for farmers from nearby provinces to sell their harvest directly to the customer.

“We are assured that the products being sold here are affordable because they don’t go through any middleman or traders who would impose additional cost,” Belmonte said.

She added that “farmers are being assisted by their respective local government units in bringing their goods to Quezon City, so no transportation cost will be passed on to consumers.”

The program began on November 9 and 10 and will be held every Saturday and Sunday.

Farmers from Cavite, Bataan, Quezon, Camarines Norte and Nueva Ecija have availed of the opportunity to sell their products directly to consumer, the mayor shared.

“We expect the list of provinces to grow as we continue to reach out to farmers from nearby provinces to grab the chance to earn additional income,” said Belmonte.

“Fresh Market” will be open from 6 a. m. onwards on Saturdays and 6 a. m. to 12 noon on Sundays, according to Mona Celine Yap, head of the Small Business Cooperatives Development Promotions Operations.

Yap encouraged residents of the city and nearby cities to help boost farmers’ income by availing of rice, vegetable, fruits and other produce from the weekend market.

The “Fresh Market” is one of Belmonte’s commitments to healthy food and food security when she attended the World Mayors Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark.