The Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR) assured continuous support to farmers affected by the challenged prices of vegetables.

In an interview with People’s Television Cordillera, Regional Technical Director (RTD) for Operations Danilo Daguio assured farmers that they will continuously extend help to connect them to potential markets. He also urged the public to refrain from posting and sharing adverse posts online, as the situation has now normalized.

“Kung kailangan niyo ng tulong sa pagbenta ng mga produkto, meron tayong ‘Kadiwa on Wheels’ na program, continuous po ‘yan. The best po na gawin [ng ating mga farmers], lumapit kayo sa inyong municipal and provincial agriculturists at alam na po nila ang gagawin,” the RTD advised, adding that all their concerns will be forwarded to DA-CAR for proper action.

[If farmers need help selling their produce, we have the ‘Kadiwa on Wheels’ program, which is an ongoing initiative. The best thing farmers could do is approach their respective offices of the municipal and provincial agriculturist, and they shall provide the necessary assistance.]

OIC-Regional Executive Director (RED) Atty. Jennilyn Dawayan further underscored the importance of partnership and coordination to solve agricultural issues.

“Here in the Department of Agriculture, we are continuously locating farmers and reaching out to them. We also collaborate with local governments to check for areas of concern,” RED Dawayan said.

“The issues of agriculture are not the sole responsibility of the Department of Agriculture; it’s a collective responsibility of the DA, local government, farmers’ association, and all stakeholders in the agriculture industry,” she further expressed.

Meanwhile, DA-CAR has successfully linked vegetable farmers to various markets since January 5. As of writing, DA-CAR has sold over 40,000 kilograms of various vegetables, like cabbage and Chinese cabbage (wombok), to institutional buyers and other markets within and beyond the region.

The vegetables are sold at an affordable price of P10 to P15 per kilo.// JBPeralta