Davao City allocates P500k for program to support farmers

The Davao City government continues supporting farmers by connecting them to wholesale buyers of farm goods under the C.L.E.A.R program initially funded with half a million pesos.

C.L.E.A.R. which stands for Confirm, Locate, Engage, Address, and Resolve, is a program implemented by the City Agriculturist Office (CAO) to assist farmers whose income is affected due to decrease in the farmgate prices of farm products such as vegetables.

City Agriculturist Leo Brian Leuterio said that the program is aimed at addressing the farmers situation wherein their products are bought at a very low price resulting in a loss of income. Many of them opted not to sell their products.

“Naay mga farmers na dili na nila ibaligya ang ilang harvest kay mubo kaayo ang palit. Sometimes, wala pud mamalit kay daghan supplies sa Bangkerohan market (Some farmers don’t sell their harvest anymore because it is bought at a very low price. Sometimes, there are no buyers because there are a lot of supplies in Bangkerohan market),” he said.

Under the program, the city government buys the products using the allocated funds; repacked; and, distribute them to the communities on lockdown, security personnel, and the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) for the city’s food ration.

“Right now we cannot sell it so we are giving it out to the community – to the lockdown communities, security personnel, and the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) food distribution,” Leuterio said.

Already, 30 farmers are supported through the C.L.E.A.R program since last week.

CAO also targets to launch the “Farm to Market Highway” on August 17, 2020, aiming to help the farmers sell their harvests to the market through an agricultural cooperative.

Through the city’s Agri-Biz Office, CAO will identify markets or buyers of vegetable harvests like the grocery stores, supermarkets, restaurants, caterers, and others.

CAO will get the buyers’ orders for the cooperatives which will then bring the products to the Davao Food Terminal Complex where it will be repacked for delivery to the buyers.

The program also eases the transactions between the buyers and the farmers because the latter are already connected directly to the market.

Leuterio said that a lot of cooperatives and wholesalers already showed support and willingness to help the farmers. He is also hopeful that the project will improve the farmgate prices of vegetables. CIO