Marikina City to Host Department of Agriculture’s First Food Hub
In a bid to provide a direct platform for farmers and cooperatives to sell their produce to wholesale buyers and individual consumers, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to establish its first food hub in Marikina City.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. announced the development, stating that the hub will be located near the existing food distribution center to ensure easy access for suppliers and buyers. The DA plans to merge traditional food terminals with KADIWA centers to guarantee affordability and accessibility of agricultural products to Filipinos.
KADIWA stores, which are part of the DA’s farm-to-consumer market chain, aim to eliminate middlemen and allow low-income buyers to purchase commodities directly from farmers. Laurel highlighted the importance of addressing the lack of food terminals in the country and emphasized that the food hub initiative is part of the DA’s logistics roadmap.
The agency has secured a one-hectare property in BFCT Bagsakan Center near Marikina River for the food hub project. The development is expected to take around 12 months to complete facilities such as cold storage and dry warehouses to preserve agricultural commodities.
“The overarching goal of the initiative is to help farmers and cooperatives increase their income while providing consumers, especially those in urban centers, with access to affordable agricultural products,” Laurel stated. The management of the food hubs will be under Food Terminals Inc. (FTI), with a KADIWA component integrated into their operations.
