FOLLOWING the positive response from consumers in Quezon City and Metro Manila, the Department of Agriculture in Davao Region (DA-Davao) is eyeing stronger market opportunities for Davao’s fruit farmers as its Kadiwa on Wheels brings durian and other locally grown produce closer to consumers outside Mindanao.
DA-Davao reported that consumers gave a warm reception to the durian, pomelo, mangosteen and lanzones featured in the Kadiwa on Wheels fruit display and tasting activities held in Metro Manila. The initiative is intended to expand the market for Davao-grown commodities while allowing farmers to reach consumers beyond the region.
The Kadiwa on Wheels fruit display was held at the Department of Agriculture central office in Quezon City from September 1 to 3, followed by a stop at Kartilya ng Katipunan near Manila City Hall on September 4.
The program is also scheduled to bring Davao fruits to Cebu, Baguio and Pasay in the succeeding weeks.
DA-Davao regional executive director Macario D. Gonzaga said the response from Metro Manila consumers was important to farmers who are seeking wider markets for their harvests.
“The support of our consumers here in Metro Manila is very important to our farmers in Davao. Every purchase of their produce helps create demand and provides our farmer-producers with a wider market for their harvest,” Gonzaga said.
He said the warm reception demonstrated the potential for Davao’s agricultural products to gain stronger consumer demand outside the region.
The initiative comes as Davao’s fruit industry seeks to expand domestic consumption, particularly for durian, while addressing challenges associated with limited market access and postharvest losses.
DA-Davao said current per capita durian consumption is only 0.66 kilograms, indicating room to increase domestic demand for the fruit. For farmer-producers, reaching consumers in major population centers such as Metro Manila could provide another outlet for their harvests.
Eduard Cervantes, a fruit farmer-producer of La Prinsesa Agri Farm in Baguio District, Davao City, said the program gave producers an opportunity to directly expose their products to consumers outside Davao.
“Ako mismo personal nasinati ang Kadiwa on wheels. In fact, sa atong durian industry, isa sa atong damgo nga mapataas ang per capita consumption sa atong durian para ma-improve ang local market,” Cervantes said.
Cervantes said the growing acceptance of durian could help strengthen the domestic market and provide farmers with additional avenues to sell their produce.
The latest Kadiwa initiative follows the agency’s shipment of around 25 metric tons of fresh fruits from Davao to Metro Manila on August 28. The shipment included durian, mangosteen, pomelo and other produce sourced from farms in Davao City, including Calinan District.
The agency earlier said the program was conceived partly in response to concerns among farmers over market access and low prices. DA-Davao officials said expanding the consumer base could help create additional demand and improve opportunities for producers.
The broader Kadiwa program of the Department of Agriculture is designed to establish direct links between farmers and consumers, providing producers with additional marketing channels while bringing agricultural commodities closer to buyers.
For the Davao fruit sector, the current rollout is also intended to strengthen market linkages and reduce dependence on local markets by introducing the region’s produce to consumers in other major urban centers.
The Kadiwa on Wheels initiative has a target volume of 70 metric tons, with the Davao City Durian Industry Development Council and Durian Industry Association of Davao City among the participating groups.
After its Metro Manila leg, the caravan is scheduled to proceed to Cebu City from September 10 to 16, Baguio City from September 25 to 28, and the World Trade Center in Pasay City from October 8 to 10.
The positive reception in Metro Manila, DA-Davao said, provides Davao farmers with a stronger indication of the potential for durian and other regional fruits to capture wider domestic markets. DEF
