Davao City – An official of the City Agriculture Office bared the Stay at Home, Magtanom still reels in the city, with free seedlings delivered to constituents every Thursday and Friday.
Leo Brian Leuterio, officer-in-charge of the City Agriculture Office said even with the threat of many restaurants and eateries closing, the city government still initiates to buy the products of farmers given that their harvests will never be sold because of the pandemic.
“As approved by City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, the local government bought the harvests of farmers and repacked them as aid, together with the City Social Services and Development Office,” he said citing the low farm gate prices of vegetables in Davao City as low as ₱ 4.00 a kilo.
Leuterio said the Stay at Home Magtanom has evolved into an urban agricultural program, with the theme, “Bakanteng Lote atong Tamnan, Aron dili kita Magutman.”
There are now 17 subdivisions enrolled in this program, harnessing the open spaces in the respective areas.
“When we support them, there are many tangible results which we can account,” Leuterio said.
He said participating subdivisions have “magtanom cards” writing therein their activities, the harvest-time and would be beneficiaries.
The City Agriculture Office also launched this week, the CLEAR program, which stands for confirm, locate, engage, address, and resolve.
The program is based on the order of the City Mayor, to address the vegetable production in the upper areas of the city like Marilog, Paquibato and Upper Calinan where the farm-gate-prices are very low like ₱ 4.00 a kilo of the squash.
“We confirm and locate where these circumstances are happening, engage the farmer and address the issues on price and transport and resolve it by identifying recipients,” Leuterio said.
At the end of the day, the harvests of the farmers will not be thrown to waste.
Leuterio said 17,000 kilos of squash might be wasted after its supposed buyer backed out.
“The vegetables were harvested yesterday and the buyer backed out today, after the sale for Cagayan de Oro did not materialize,” he said.
Leuterio said they are finding ways of offering a higher price for the farmers, without throwing away their harvest.
He said that the CLEAR program has an initial fund of ₱ 500,000 which is tantamount to 15,000 kilos of vegetable.
“Our ears are open. We give assistance to farmer beneficiaries,” he said as the CAO buys the harvest at a higher price.
He illustrated that if the farm gate price will be at P15.00 and the buying price is ₱ 4.00, with the capital at ₱ 7.00, the government buys the product at ten pesos.
“The farm products are repacked in our food terminal in Toril and together with the CSSDO, the goods are distributed to the security personnel, lockdown areas like Barangay 23-C, Barangay New Matina, rehab, home for the aged and the center for the mentally-challenged,” Leuterio said. (Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)
(Source: PIA XI)