Retail groups vow to buy local to support farmers

The Department of Agriculture said Thursday that supermarkets’ and hotels’ associations in the country have committed to patronize local agriculture and fishery products to help boost the income of Filipino farmers.

These are Rustan’s Supermarket, Philippine Association of Supermarkets Inc. (PASI), Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association Inc. (Pag-Asa) and Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP).

In turn, the agriculture department—through its Agribusiness, Marketing and Assistance Services—will establish a central depot or distribution hub where supermarkets could buy their regular stocks of various agri-fishery products.

In a statement, the department said that for special requirements, it would refer the supermarkets’ associations to interested suppliers and producers.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the DA had committed to build the depot in response to the suggestion of Steven Cua of Pag-Asa.

The DA quoted Lolet Fernandez of PASI as saying that members of her group preferred selling organic agricultural products. She is set to provide the DA a list of her group’s organic products requirements for matching with interested suppliers, farmers’ groups, and producers.

Eugene Yap of HRAP will provide the DA with a list of farm and fishery products and ingredients that hotels and restaurants require and consume, that farmers’ groups could supply on a regular basis.

Representatives of supermarkets made the commitment in a meeting called to address the influx of imported farm products, particularly onions, in public markets and supermarkets, Alcala said.

Farmers from Nueva Ecija committed to ensure a sustainable supply of onions, the DA said. They will soon produce off-season yellow granex onions.

The onion will be planted in August and harvested from October through November to meet the demand during the Christmas season.

Alcala said the department would also spearhead a program to revive the country’s garlic industry and promote the production of local “Peking duck” to supply the requirements of Chinese restaurants.