The solon also said that making the Kadiwa program permanent would help eliminate the need for farmers and fisherfolk to approach unscrupulous middlemen.
THE administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. established a substantial number of Kadiwa stores and outlets across the country, in addition to providing farmers with loans, reducing logistics costs and improving agricultural infrastructure.
In its year-end report, the administration said that as of November this year, it has generated P418 million in sales from the conduct of 19,383 Kadiwa selling activities, which served 1.22 million households and benefitted 450 farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs) and agri-fishery enterprises nationwide.
Under the Kadiwa ng Pasko caravan, which the administration intends to continue beyond the holiday, more than P15 million were generated in sales as of Dec. 11, according to the report.
Aside from putting up Kadiwa outlets, the government operated Agri-Pinoy Trading Centers (APTCs), Diskuwento Caravans and has worked to stabilize sugar supply and prices.
Currently, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has been operating 15 APTCs nationwide, benefitting 219,201 farmers and fishermen.
Through the APTCs, the DA facilitated the trade of 214,758.21 metric tons (MT) of crops, 90,248 heads of livestock, and 1,789.94 MT of fishery products valued at P16.65 billion.
On the production side, the administration concentrated this year on distributing unused agricultural lands to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) with the aim of increasing productivity. 52,000 hectares of unused lands have been identified for distribution.
19,199 Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) were distributed to 11,938 ARBs since President Marcos assumed office up to December 10.
The government also distributed seeds, fertilizer, and fuel discount vouchers, farm inputs and materials, and provided farmers with irrigation facilities. The beneficiaries included 1.06 million rice farmers and 3,528 farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs).
In terms of credit and financial assistance, the government extended P1.25 billion in loans to 10,586 small farmers and fishers (SFF) and 119 registered micro and small agri-fishery enterprises (MSEs)/ Farmer and Fisherfolk Organizations (FFOs) through the Kapital Access for Young Agripreneurs (KAYA) and Agri-Negosyo (ANYO) Loan programs.
This is in addition to the P482.52 million in loans to 35,222 SSFs and one MSE borrower under the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Assistance Programs.
Some 179 sugarcane farmer-borrowers were also given P120.93 million in loans under the Sugar Industry Development Act (SIDA) Socialized Credit Program.
