Online platforms help link farmers to consumers

When the new coronavirus pandemic brought the country to a halt, members of the agriculture sector could no longer sell their produce via traditional markets. But thanks to online platforms, farmers were given the chance to bring them closer to consumers through live-streaming and Facebook posts.

Cordilleran farmers, for instance, have created a Facebook page called Rural Rising PH, which links farmers to the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Express Kadiwa program.

Vegetables from the country’s “salad bowl” are also sold through the page, wherein 3,000 buyers and resellers come together to cater to its growing audience. To date, it has already gained 28,000 followers.

According to the DA, the driving force which led to the creation of Rural Rising PH was through a vegetable dealer’s post that went viral after sharing the plight of Cordilleran farmers who had to throw away their unsold produce.

Last week, the group bought 4,000 kilos of bananas from the Mountain Province and 4,400 kilos of assorted vegetables from Ifugao. It also accommodated 1,530 kilos of assorted vegetables from the indigenous people of Benguet.

Ace Estrada, co-founder of Rural Rising PH, said that farmers experienced difficulty in transporting their produce despite exceptions given by the government, adding that buyers were unable to reach them. As such, they decided to use Facebook as a marketing platform to reach out to all stakeholders.

“We truly believe that agriculture is the most vital way for our economy to recover faster, and by collectively contributing to food security and rural prosperity we could make the most immediate and lasting impact,” he said.INQ