New DA initiative gives farmers access to malls

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has partnered with Ayala Malls to put up TienDA, a farmers and fisherfolks outlet, in Ayala Center Cebu.

The partnership allows farmers to display and sell their products in the mall with no rental cost at all.

The project aims to sell fruits, vegetables, rice, and other agricultural and fish products from farms all over the country direct to customers and without the intervention of middlemen.

In an interview last Saturday during the launching at the mall's Terraces grounds, Agriculture Undersecretary for Agribusiness Bernadette Puyat said this kind of initiative allows farmers to earn more profit as they are able to sell directly to the consumers.

Puyat expressed hopes the department will be able to get the participation of other malls for the TienDA project.

At least 50 farmers cooperatives and individual farmers from Cebu and neighboring Visayas islands participated at the agriculture fair from Nov. 25-26.

Products displayed and sold included fruits, vegetables, crops, delicacies, rice, corn, spices, sugar, and eggs, among others.

Small farmers, fisherfolks and rural entrepreneurs from Regions 6 and 8 also joined the TienDa launching.

While the partnership between DA and the Ayala Group is on, they, however, have not yet agreed on how frequent TienDA will be done.

Puyat said the department would want to hold TienDA frequently.

Recently, Ayala Corp Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and President Rodrigo Duterte launched the TienDA in Abreeza Mall in Davao City.

The TienDa Farmers and Fisherfolks Outlet is a marketing project implemented by DA to provide farmers with an opportunity to sell their produce directly to the consumers.

It is a market linkage program envisioned to eliminate the unnecessary layers in the supply chain and make food more affordable for consumers in key urban and consumption centers, while helping farmers and fishermen earn more.

Under this partnership, the Ayala Malls will provide spaces and amenities to the farmers and fisherfolks free of charge as part of their advocacy to help small farmers and fishermen sell their produce directly to the consumers.

In Luzon for instance, Puyat said agricultural products need to go through five to eight middlemen before they reach to the consumers.

This makes farm products more expensive for consumers in the Philippines, she said.