The government has started to partner with big malls to bring fresh and quality farm produce closer to the consumers.
On Saturday, November 18, 2017, the Department of Agriculture (DA), in partnership with the Ayala Malls, kicked off the first batch of food outlet set-up in Abreeza Mall, Davao City.
No less than President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, graced the launching of “TienDa Farmers and Fisherfolk Outlet” which aim to bring fresh and quality farm products to major urban centers.
The TienDA in Abreeza featured a wide variety of agri-products including organic-colored rice, fruits, vegetables, seafood and other agri-products from the farmers of Southern Mindanao provinces.
TienDA is a marketing initiative of DA, directly connects producers and consumers, eliminating the participation of middlemen in the trading cycle, and lowering the cost of foodstuff in the process.
“This initiative aims to eliminate cartels, middlemen and dicers. It is in line with President Duterte directive to provide available and affordable food for Filipinos,” explained Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol.
Piñol added that TienDA seeks to empower farmers and allow them to have full control on setting food prices in the market.
Ayala Malls will bring Tienda in the following venues: Ayala Center Cebu (November 25-26), UP Town Center (December 2-3), Alabang Town Center (December 9-10), The 30th (December 16-17), and Solenad Nuvali (January 18-21).
Duterte commended the Ayala group for their cooperation and continued support, which manifest their sense of responsibility and social conscience to help the Filipino farmers.
Aside from TienDa, the Ayala group has also ventured in corporate rice farming in Iloilo, a marketing strategy that links farmers to institutional buyers.
During the event, the agri chief recommended to the President that the National Food Authority be a consolidator of regional products.
“NFA should not just be a rice importing agency especially as we are expecting to produce enough supply by 2020, because by then we stop importation,” Piñol said.
“NFA should be consolidator of regional agri-products that will be repositioned to other parts of the country where these commodities are needed,” he added.
Piñol further suggested that NFA set up regional food depot where farm and fishery products will be consolidated and then delivered to other parts of the country. ### (Kristel Merle, DA-AFID)
