Govt eyes online auctions for agri outputs to aid Normin farmers

GOVERNMENT will soon adopt an online auction system for all agricultural commodities in northern Mindanao to ensure more transparency and efficiency, a press statement said earlier today.

During the Normin COVID-19 Response Task Force Press briefing Friday, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) is set to conduct a broadcast auction of agricultural products, targeting to boost farmers’ income amid coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic.

“We plan to have a broadcast auction of agricultural products dinhi sa rehiyon para atong matabangan atong mga farmers sa (here in the region so we can help our farmers in) Northern Mindanao,” PCOO Sec. and Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS)-X Martin Andanar said.

Andanar added that such will also aid in showing the best produce of the region in the entire country.

He said the program will help “farmers sell their products labi na karon panahon sa pandemya nga daghan produkto sa atong mga farmers nga dili mabaligya (especially in this time of pandemic where the farmers find it difficult to sell their products).”

Currently, the Department of Agriculture (DA) implements the “eKadiwa,” an online marketing platform that directly links producers and agripreneurs to consumers.

It is where customers only need to visit eKadiwa.da.gov.ph, so they can order a wide range of fresh and affordable farm and fishery products.

The ordered goods are paid initially through cash-on-delivery (COD) or bank transfer.

With the online auction, Andanar said, “We will try to boost it by giving this platform aron mapromote ang ilang mga produkto ug ma-encourage o maboost ang morale sa atong mga farmers ug negosyante (to promote their products as well as to encourage or boost the morale of the farmers and entrepreneurs).” (Recthie Tolinero/PIA10)