The Department of Agriculture’s Kadiwa stores have served more than half a million Bicolanos and generated PHP156 million in income for farmers and cooperatives in the five provinces of the region.

Lovella Guarin, DA-Bicol information officer, on Tuesday said Kadiwa is the brainchild of the DA, established to provide urban residents with fresh food items at lower prices.

It also allows food producers to be “agri-preneurs” and directly sell their fresh harvests to consumers.

“For 2022, a total of 2,732 metric tons (MT) of agricultural commodities worth PHP156 million were traded in Bicol through the Kadiwa program which benefited 507,292 Bicolanos,” Guarin said in an interview.

She said Kadiwa has been implemented by their agency since the start of the pandemic in 2020 to ensure food accessibility, affordability, and availability and to protect the consumers against fluctuation of prices of agricultural commodities.

“At present, there are 30 Kadiwa retail outlets and Kadiwa on wheels operating in the Bicol Region — 19 Kadiwa outlets or mobile Kadiwa in Camarines Sur (province), four in Camarines Norte, three in Albay, one in Masbate and three in Sorsogon. These Kadiwa outlets and Kadiwa on wheels are buying farmers’ produce and selling basic and agricultural commodities at prices generally lower than prevailing market prices,” Guarin said.

The products available in Kadiwa stores include rice, sugar, cooking oil, pork, chicken, fresh fish, dried fish, canned goods, fruits, vegetables, root crops, processed agricultural products and other basic commodities. (PNA)