THE operations of the Davao Food Terminal Complex will allow vegetable producers and traders to increase their incomes as movement of goods between and among them will be efficient.
During the opening of the facility located in Barangay Daliao, Joseph R. Laborte, president of the Highland Vegetable Growers Association (HVGA) from Tugbok District, told the City Information Office (CIO) said that the facility will help small farmers sell their produce at higher prices.
”Kung sa amoang area kuhaon lang og 7-8 pesos per kilo pag-abot diri sa DFTC medyo nitaas-taas na among presyo, nakaabot nami’g 12 pesos,” said Laborte as the City AGriculturist Office (Cagro)is also expected them with the logistical requirements in bringing their produce to the facility.
Laborte was among the 27 representatives of vegetable producers, farmers’ associations and cooperatives from Paquibato, Marilog, Baguio, Toril, and Tugbok Districts who attended the event on Tuesday.
Also in attendance were traders from Bankerohan, Toril, Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte.
Edgardo Haspe, Cagro officer in charge, said the office is deploying two trucks to help farmers bring their produce to the facility. Each of these six-wheeler vehicles has a capacity of seven metric tons.
Haspe said farmers can display their produce at the facility for free during the first six months of operations when fees are still waived. After six months, the rate will be P50 for a day per slot as defined in the implementing rules and regulations of the ordinance passed for the operations of the facility.
“We have 118 slots that are open on a first come first serve basis. Kung kinsa tung mga farmers and producers magdala diri og gulay makadisplay kung naay available. Dili ni pareha sa ubang bagsakan nga pwede nimo arkilahan the rest of the month, bahalag wala kay produkto,” Haspe said.
Farmers can also resort to collective selling of their produce, while buyers can also collectively buy the goods. ”Sila na mismo mamaligya sa ilang produkto collectively, kolektahon sa ilahang grupo, representative dalahon diri, representative mao nato mubaligya, unsa’y kita ato kabahin na sila sa kita ato kay being members of the association and the cooperatives,” Haspe said, explaining that in this way, the those bridging the buyers and sellers will be eliminated to ensure that prices are reasonable.
City Cooperative and Development Office (CCDO) Head Luzminda Eblamo said that cooperatives that buy vegetables and fruits are also among the DFTC partners as cooperatives can become consolidators to help their members.
Among the trading partners present during the opening were the Manuel Guianga and Sirib Growers and Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative and the Macabatug Cooperative Federation.
The opening of the facility also signaled the closure of other wholesale areas in the city as the mandatory unloading of farm produce is set to be held solely at the facility, its officer in charge, Josephine Martin, said as it will serve as the official wholesale area of the city based on Ordinance 0823 Series of 2021 and its implementing rules and regulations specified under Executive Order 42 Series of 2022 which Mayor Sebastian Duterte signed a month ago.
The mayor was also present during the event.
Martin said that in line with the regulation, the city will establish checkpoints in Sirawan, Lacson, and Lasang. “Yung mag-exit sa Davao City we will ensure na niagi sila diri sa Davao City, diri sila namalit,” Martin said.
“For Davao City produce pwede ra sila mudiretso sa Bankerohan Public Market. Ang gi-oblige namo karon for one year transition is those coming from outside Davao City,” she said.
Martin said that they encourage the traders or buyers to go to DFTC to help the farmers, and also ensure the safety and quality of the produce.
