Ilocos Norte: The Ilocos Norte provincial government has taken significant steps to connect its tomato farmers with institutional buyers to secure fair market prices, according to an official statement on Thursday.

According to Philippines News Agency, provincial agriculturist Engr. Teresa Bacnat noted that earlier this week, approximately 6.3 tons of tomatoes were successfully delivered by two farmers’ associations to Bulacan. This was made possible with the provincial government’s support. “With the use of our Kadiwa truck, farmers were able to transport their goods to an institutional buyer in Bulacan, ensuring they receive fair market prices,” Bacnat reported, highlighting that the farmers saved around PHP25,000 in transport costs.

In addition to providing the Kadiwa truck, the provincial government, through the Provincial Agriculture Office, offered a fuel subsidy for transporting the products and supplied 300 plastic crates to prevent spoilage and damage during transit. “This initiative is part of the Kadiwa Program, which aims to help farmers, cooperatives, and agricultural associations market their products more efficiently,” Bacnat explained.

The Sanjera Nagcarsuan Farmers Association, Inc. and Zanjera Naganakan Farmers Association were the two groups that benefited from this initiative. In a joint statement, they expressed their gratitude, stating, “This initiative greatly helps us in selling our produce at a just price. We hope this support continues.”

The Provincial Agriculture Office welcomes inquiries from interested groups on how to avail themselves of the service.