WHOLESALE MARKET. Davao City Agriculturist Office chief Edgardo Haspe announces Wednesday (Oct. 5, 2022) that the city's food terminal complex in Toril district will open on Oct. 18. It is expected to provide a venue for farmers and other 'agripreneurs' to market their produce without added charges from middlemen. (Photo courtesy of Agri Info)
DAVAO CITY -- The Davao Food Terminal Complex (DFTC) in Barangay Daliao, Toril will begin trading operations on Oct. 18, the City Agriculturist Office (CAGRO) said Wednesday.
The DFTC, a PHP70-million project funded by the Department of Agriculture in Davao Region (DA-11), will serve as the city’s official wholesale trading facility for all fruits and vegetables.
"With five hectares of land area, the wholesale facility is big enough to accommodate the bulk of agricultural produce in the city as well as those from neighboring regions," said CAGRO chief Edgardo Haspe in an interview Wednesday.
The DFTC is equipped with a cold storage facility that has eight refrigerated containers, Haspe added.
Once opened, all fruits and vegetables from neighboring regions will be directed through the DFTC before reaching the local retail markets.
Farmers within the city, on the other hand, will still be allowed to unload their produce in the public markets of Agdao, Bankerohan, Buhangin, Piapi, Matina Crossing, Calinan, Toril, Sasa, and Tibungco within a year of the DFTC’s operations.
After this transition period, Haspe said all produce sourced within and outside the city’s borders will be unloaded at the DFTC.
Since it will function as a wholesale market or "bagsakan" of agriculture goods, Haspe said the DFTC will be open 24/7.
CAGRO, City Economic Enterprise, and the City Cooperative Development Office will have satellite offices within the facility to administer its operations and safeguard the fair farm gate prices of produce.
Haspe said prices will be easier to determine and monitor since all fruits and vegetables will be unloaded at the same facility, which will in turn help guarantee the best market conditions for farmers.
“Our farmers will really know the current prevailing price in the market—price for retailing, for wholesale, and ultimately the farm gate price,” he said in the dialect.
CAGRO has already coordinated with farmers associations and agriculture cooperatives to avoid the overproduction of vegetables and ensure supply all year, he added. (PNA)
