Palace cites FCA facilitation in onion market distribution

OVER P2.59 million worth of onions were sold by local farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCA) in the last five months without going through market “middle men,” Malacañang reported on Thursday.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said this was made possible after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to help FCAS to sell their crops directly to institutional buyers.

The said onions, which were sold from September 2022 to Januar y 24, 2023, were composed of 3,478 kilograms of red onions worth P755,455 and 5,106.38 kilograms of white onions worth P1.833 million, the PCO said in a statement.

To assist FCAS in bringing their goods to markets, DA provided them with trucks and vans.

The farmers were also trained in farm clustering and consolidation, wherein they were oriented in market-driven production so they could sell their goods at a higher volume.

Last year, Marcos, who is also the concurrent agriculture secretary, announced he wants to institutionalize the national implementation of the DA’S Kadiwa program, which aims to provide an outlet for FCAS to directly sell their goods to consumers.

DA said the model “eliminates as many marketing layers, allowing producers to earn bigger from directly selling their produce instead of using trader-intermediaries.”

Elvin Jerome Laceda of Riceup and Sakahon farmers’ enterprises, lauded the initiatives of the government to empower FCAS.

Riceup and Sakahon farmers’ enterprises is one of the recipients of the four-wheel trucks awarded by the DA through its “Enhanced Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” program to qualified beneficiaries last year.

“[Assistance in] Logistics is really a big help for us,” Laceda said.