Kadiwa centers to sell basic, prime commodities at wholesale

Department of Agriculture’s Kadiwa outlet. | PHOTO: Official website of the Department of Agriculture

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has introduced new ways of selling food items at discounted prices via Kadiwa stores nationwide.

The Kadiwa center will now sell basic necessities and prime commodities wholesale and retail. It will be housed in a permanent or semi-permanent structure and managed by the identified program consolidator.

Alternatively, the Kadiwa store will offer food items at the retail level in pop-up stores, bazaars and on-wheel selling activities in response to the consuming public’s requests. The identified program consolidator or supplier may provide the items sold in a permanent or temporary space.

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The DA issued Memorandum Circular No. 37 outlining the guidelines for implementing the Kadiwa ng Pangulo Program Para sa Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas which it said provides “bigger, better, and more” features.

The DA memo also said any business entity can become a program consolidator for this project, which will manage and facilitate the consolidation and distribution of quality and affordable basic necessities and prime commodities in Kadiwa centers.

Any farmer or fisherfolk (individual or group/association) can become a program supplier that will handle the marketing and sale of quality and affordable agricultural goods at designated Kadiwa stores.

The program adopts the Inclusive Market-Oriented Development (IMOD) strategy to provide market-based and capacity-enhancement interventions for the benefit of the poor and low-income groups.

The DA has been implementing the Kadiwa program, a direct producer-to-consumer food supply and distribution program to link farmers to profitable markets.

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This project cuts marketing layers, allowing local producers to set higher farm-gate prices, reduce marketing costs and sell agricultural products at reasonable prices.

“The Kadiwa proved to be beneficial to small farmers/producers in rural areas and consumers in urban areas/cities as the farmers get higher price and profit from their produce while the consumers have an available supply of safe food at affordable prices,” the memo dated September 6 read.

Under the Marcos administration, the DA adopted the Kadiwa ng Pangulo Program Para sa Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas to implement it nationwide and attain its food security agenda.

Last month, the DA said it would open at least 60 Kadiwa stores in Visayas and Mindanao in September, hoping to bring affordable food products including rice to other parts of the country.

The agency said earlier it was in discussions with several manufacturers to supply basic goods, including canned goods, cooking oil, condiments, fresh fish and poultry, and condiments such as sugar to Kadiwa stores.