FARMERS in Davao region will soon have a hub where they can sell their agricultural produce directly to consumers at a farmer-friendly price without intermediaries involved in the market chain.
This after the launching of the “PalitANI Sa Onse, A Rice Farmers Agricultural Products Expo” by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Davao during its celebration of Irrigators Association (IA) Day on August 24 in Davao City.
Derived from two Cebuano words: “Palit,” which means to buy, and “Ani,” which means harvest. Together, “PalitAni” means buying the farm harvest or agricultural produce of the local rice farmers.
Inspired by a “Tabu/Tabu-an,” a local version of “market day” set on a specific day weekly where merchants and traders from different areas gather in one location, usually in business centers of a municipality or barangay, to sell their products, making it convenient for locals to buy what they need.
The project aims to help farmers generate higher income through a free market and direct selling and lessen, if not eliminate, the involvement of middlemen or traders who according to NIA-Davao sometimes exploit farmers’ lack of knowledge of the market prices.
Rice farmers in the region were thrilled, as they would be guaranteed reasonable prices for their produce and at the same time help the consumers get inexpensive yet fresh agricultural products.
Among them is Diosdada Molina, a 73-year old rice farmer from Kapalong, Davao del Norte, who displayed her white rice No. 160 variety and black rice in one of the booths during the launching of the project.
She commended the agency for initiating the project saying, “This kind of initiative is good because we can earn much (compared to when there are intermediaries)… It’s nice because the public, particularly the farmers, are involved.”
She added that aside from farmers, consumers can also benefit from this project, noting that “people can afford to purchase the products” as the prices are set economically.
She said that the price of rice of an excellent variety displayed in the booth and to be displayed in "PalitAni" in Davao del Norte is only around P50 per kilogram, unlike in the local markets whose prices are around P53 to P57 per kilogram.
Meanwhile, Provincial Federation of Irrigators Association of Davao de Oro president Jerry Baraguya said that this kind of market has been a practice in Davao de Oro, which links farmers to buyers of their livestock products.
With the launching, he said that the project will be formally established, showcasing not only rice but also all agricultural products produced by the local farmers themselves.
Baraguya said that this program offers access for both farmers and buyers to the market, noting “Kay usually man gud daghan man gud produce si farmer nga madaot nalang tungod kay wala sila naka-access sa market. Unya daghan pod potential buyer nga gusto mopalit, ang problema wala sila kabalo nga naa diay sila ana diha nga produce (Because usually the farmer has a lot of produce that only get damaged because she/he does not have access to the market. Then there are many potential buyers as well who want to buy, but the problem is they do not know that farmers have that product).”
As being practiced in the province, Baraguya said that they will continue building and strengthening their linkages between their local farmers to their potential buyers or consumers.
However, for now, he said that their main hub in Davao de Oro is in their provincial Irrigation Management Office (IMO), serving NIA personnel and nearby offices.
Project implementation
NIA-Davao Senior Irrigators Development Officer Rodel Maceda said the project is anchored on the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) Program, an inter-agency program designed to address concerns on hunger mitigation, food and nutrition insecurity, and poverty reduction, to ensure its sustainability.
As an open marketplace, he noted that local farmers are free to display whatever agricultural produce they have, as long as these products are their own – from their own farm or made by themselves, and sell them at their own farm-gate prices.
Following the launching, he said that all provincial IMOs will now serve as marketplaces for farmers to have an area where they can display their products on their preferred day of the week. Also, to reach out to more potential buyers, they will be taping local government units (LGUs) and other agencies.
“At the start ang mga marketplaces, ang mga opisina pa sa NIA kay target, for now, NIA employees and nearby offices… (but) atong target nga ma-partner ang local government units and other interested party nga motabang (the marketplaces will be the NIA offices in the provinces because our target market, for now, is NIA employees and nearby offices... we target to partner with local government units and other interested parties to assist us), for the general public to have access to the market,” he explained.
Maceda emphasized that the program is exclusive to the members of the Irrigators Association (IA) in the region, primarily Class C farmers or those small-scale farmers whose main source of income is only farming.
He explained that the process involves filing an application by an interested IA, and then the provincial IMO will validate the application before they can display their products or put up a marketplace or “Tabu/Tabuan” in their localities.
He added “Ang mahitabo ani, si IA mahimo siyang consolidator nga iyang i-patronize ang abot sa iyang mga myembro katong mga Class C farmer or small scale farmer, si IA maoy mag tap sa office sa IMO, unya si IMO na mag-validate (What will happen is that IA will be the consolidator who will patronize the produce Class C farmer or small scale farmer members, IA will then tap the IMO office and then IMO will validate the application).”
On the other hand, regarding putting up a “Tabu/Tabua-an” or local marketplace, Maceda said, “depende ni sa mag-apply nga Irrigators Association, kung asa ang lugar nga daghang mag-apply didtu pod i-establish ang tabu (this depends on the Irrigators Association applicants, if there are various applicants in a certain area, that areas will be the place where tabu (marketplace) will be established).”
Maceda also disclosed that a major part of the project is building linkages, especially long-term ones, between farmers and potential buyers like restaurants, but he said it depends on the capacity of the farmers to sustain the production of certain agricultural products.
Encouraging farmers to venture into other high-valued crops
NIA-Davao Regional Manager Jimmy Apostol said that the project was also launched to encourage rice farmers to venture into other high-valued crops, aside from side farming.
He explained, “para ma-ipakita nga aside sa rice ang farmer pwede pod siya makatanom og lain-laing nga crops like vegetables para to add income, dili na lang gyud puros palay (to show that aside from rice, the farmer can also plant different crops like vegetables to add income, not just merely rice),” as he noted that palay takes about four months before it can be harvested.
He added that this is one way of the agency to support rice farmers in the region to generate additional income and combat El Nino, saying “nga naa pay other crops na matanom nga dili na kinahanglan og daghang tubig (that there are other crops that can be planted that do not need much water).”
Apostol assured local farmers that the agency would assist them in identifying a “bagsakan” in their localities to ensure that they have a place where they can display and sell their products.
Support local products, love local farmers
Since it is locally inspired, Maceda hoped that the public would support the project to help local rice farmers at least uplift their living conditions, stressing that rice farmers have been “neglected.”
Apostol has also called for support from the LGUs, other government agencies, and the general public as this will not only help rice farmers, but also facilitate economic development in their localities.
On the other hand, Baraguya has called on the public to “buy local gyud ta. Atong i–love gyud atu-ang mga farmer (we really have to buy local. We really have to love our farmers,” noting their vital role in the food security in the country.
He added that by patronizing local products, farmers would be inspired to plant more and develop their farmlands.
“The more man gud nato ma-encourage ang atong mga farmers nato nga mananom kung kita pod nga mga buyers atoa pong tabangan sila nga mahalin ang ilahang produkto (If we buyers patronize their products, the more our farmers will be encouraged to plant),” he explained. PIA DAVAO