Expanding fuel subsidies and increasing the production of commodities are the top priorities of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Undersecretary Kristine Evangelista said on Saturday, Aug. 6.

She said the expanded distribution of fuel subsidies will benefit all the agriculture producers such as sugar planters, corn farmers and fishers who are using machinery.

“The fuel subsidy, nag-umpisa po siya gawa ng krisis sa Russia at Ukraine. Tumaas po ang ating krudo. This was a new program but I think our different banner program and attached agencies are looking kung ito po ay magiging regular na programa para makatulong sa ating mga producers, sa ating magsasaka,” Evangelista said in an interview with Cesar Chavez during DZRH’s Special on Saturday (SOS).

Last March, DA distributed a 30 percent fuel discount, worth Php 3,000, to 158,730 farmers and fishermen as part of the fuel subsidy program.

Apart from this, Evangelista also said that they are intensifying the Kadiwa program as part of their intervention against the rising inflation rate or high prices of goods in the country.

Kadiwa is a market system where farmers and fisherfolk are linked directly to the consumer; the program seeks to provide an affordable agricultural goods at a lower price.

Kadiwa was first introduced under former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s administration

“Ang ating immediate intervention ay palakasin ang ating Kadiwa. Meron na po tayo out of 17 cities and municipalities in NCR [National Capital Region], 11 areas na po ang ating Kadiwa natin muli,” she said.

Evangelista said the local government units (LGU) and parish churches are helping to provide a location site for the Kadiwa stores.

Aside from retail selling, she said Kadiwa also reaches out to sellers of the local market to offer the products of farmers at a wholesale price.

Evangelista described this as “bringing the produce directly to the market”.

“Wholesale po ang ating ginagawa para hindi maging ka-kompetensya directly ang ating mga tindera but that is our way to bring down the prices of agricultural commodities,” she said.

The prices of goods in Kadiwa stores are Php 20 lower from the local market, she said.

DA is providing the trading capital and transportation for farmer cooperatives, this is the reason why they can lower the prices of goods, she added.

“Ayun po at least maipapangako po natin sa ating mga consumers na meron pong alternative na lugar kung saan sila mas makakabili ng mas mura po na mga gulay," Evangelista asserted.