THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is refining its market early-warning system to anticipate supply disruptions, link farmers with buyers faster and prevent produce from spoiling or being sold at distress prices.
The initiative, led by the DA’s Agricultural Marketing Assistance Service, builds on emergency procurement measures implemented at the height of the Middle East war, when surging logistics costs disrupted the movement of agricultural products.
The system will serve as an interim measure while the government develops larger cold storage and vegetable processing facilities aimed at addressing oversupply and post-harvest losses.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said persistent rains in Benguet this year disrupted supply chains, damaging crops and weakening demand for fresh produce.
“What happened in Benguet this year may also be called force majeure, with excessive rain hobbling the supply chain,” Tiu Laurel said on Monday.
“Our long-term solution is mega-cold storage and vegetable processing facilities. We have set aside funds for 2027, and those facilities will be located beside the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center,” he added.
While Congress deliberates on the proposed 2027 budget, the DA is pursuing interim measures, including rehabilitating existing cold-storage facilities and installing smaller units to expand capacity.
“We want to move from reacting to problems to anticipating them. The monitoring system will give us alerts on upcoming harvests, weather disturbances and other developments that could affect the supply chain and help us trigger assistance earlier,” said Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra, assistant secretary for Agribusiness, Marketing and Consumer Affairs and head of Kadiwa ng Pangulo.
The system will complement regional help desks and provide the government with a clearer picture of agricultural products moving from farms to markets.
Regular harvest projections will also improve planning, while more timely and transparent farmgate price monitoring could help curb abuses by middlemen. Alerts could trigger logistics and other assistance before supply and market disruptions worsen.
The DA also plans to expand its information campaign on Kadiwa assistance, particularly among farmers using trading centers, and strengthen coordination with other government agencies that can serve as institutional buyers of highland vegetables during periods of abundant harvests.
