The Department of Agriculture seeks to establish food hubs across the country, blending the functions of traditional food terminals with the accessibility of KADIWA centers.
These hubs will serve as vital platforms where farmers and cooperatives can directly bring their produce, facilitating transactions with wholesale buyers and individual consumers alike, all while offering agricultural products at competitive prices, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said.
“We lack food terminals in the country—places where buyers and sellers could transact on a wholesale level. This food hub will be part of the DA’s logistics roadmap,” he said.
The DA’s broader logistics roadmap is aimed at enhancing the efficiency of agricultural supply chains, ensuring sufficient supply of vital agricultural products at affordable prices, especially in areas where demand is high.
Negotiations are already underway for either a joint venture or long-term lease on a one-hectare property in Marikina’s BFCT Bagsakan Center as the first location for these distribution hubs.
The development timeline anticipates at least 12 months for the completion of required facilities, including cold storage and dry warehouses, essential for preserving agricultural products.
“While the management of these food hubs will fall under the purview of Food Terminals Inc. (FTI), a KADIWA component will be integrated into their operations,” Secretary Tiu Laurel explained. He said the overarching goal of the initiative is to help farmers and cooperatives increase their income while concurrently providing consumers, especially those in urban centers, with access to affordable agricultural products.
This project dovetails with the vision laid out by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his stint as agriculture secretary, where he established KADIWA distribution hubs and stores to make essential household items more accessible to millions of underprivileged Filipinos.
Secretary Tiu Laurel said a strategic consideration for locating the new food hub in proximity to the existing food distribution center underscores the commitment to facilitating seamless access for both suppliers and buyers, thereby maximizing the effectiveness and impact of the project. ###
