Photo courtesy: OMAG, Banaue, Ifugao

Organized farmers from barangays Amganad, Anaba, Balad, Balawis, Bocos, Poitan, Tam-an, and Viewpoint, all in Banaue, Ifugao, delivered 10.1 metric tons of tomatoes to Metro Manila on April 6 and 8.

Banaue Mayor Wesley Dulawan met with the representatives of the farmer organizations and linked them to the Rural Rising Philippines and the Magsasaka Outlet. The Rural Rising Ph bought around 8.6 metric tons while the Magsasaka Outlet bought around 1.5 metric tons of tomatoes. Aside from tomatoes, the farmer groups also delivered 800 kilos of Chinese cabbage and 528 kilos of cabbage.

Through its KADIWA schemes, the Department of Agriculture – Cordillera Administrative Region (DA CAR) provided the vehicles which brought the produce to Manila. Joan D. Bacbac, Chief of the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) assures that through the strong partnership with the local government units (LGUs) of the region, the KADIWA platform will continue to provide a direct market for highland farmers to sell their harvests nationwide.

As part of its relief operations, meanwhile, the Province of Ifugao through the leadership of Governor Jerry U. Dalipog bought from the Banaue farmers and then distributed five metric tons of tomatoes to communities particularly in the municipalities of Lagawe, Lamut, and Kiangan.

Further, support for tomato farmers is the forthcoming completion in June 2021 of the Tomato Processing Center in Tinoc, Ifugao under the Bayanihan 2 program of the Department.(DA-CAR)