By Debbie E. Gasingan

BAGUIO CITY, Phi;ippines — Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR) is strengthening direct market linkages for Benguet farmers, providing them with additional outlets for their produce and helping reduce the costs of bringing their harvest to trading centers.

During the pilot delivery on Sept. 15, 2026, more than 10 tons of potatoes were bought by an institutional buyer from Manila directly from the farming communities in Mankayan, Benguet.

About 10 farmer cooperatives and associations from Mankayan and Buguias participated in the activity facilitated by the DA-CAR Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD).

Jean B. Mayos, chief of the Marketing Development Section of DA-CAR-AMAD, said the initiative started with a market-matching meeting in July 2026.

“Pilot delivery pa lang ito, pero umabot na sa 10 tonelada ang na-deliver na patatas. Dalawang beses kada linggo naman ang pagkuha ng buyer sa mga produkto ng ating mga farmer,” she said.

She said the direct pickup arrangement has helped farmers avoid the added expense and effort of bringing their harvest to trading centers.

Wegina Lodias, a member of the Bosigan Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Mankayan, said the initiative has been helpful to their group.

“Salamat sa DA-CAR dahil nandiyan sila at patuloy na sumusuporta sa amin, lalo na sa market linkage na direktang nag-uugnay sa farmer at buyer,” she said.

Narcisa Paleng of the Upper Daligdig Farmer Association in Buguias, also said that buyers going directly to their community have made selling their produce more convenient.

“Dahil sa tulong ng DA-CAR AMAD, dumating dito sa amin ang buyer na ito. At least hindi na kami naaabala sa pagdadala ng gulay namin sa bagsakan. Sana ay magpatuloy ang ating kolaborasyon,” she said.

DA-CAR said the activity remains in the pilot stage and will be used to assess the delivery process, product quality, volume, pricing, and the farmer groups’ capacity to provide a consistent supply.

Other Benguet vegetables, including carrots, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and other highland crops, could also be included in succeeding market-linking activities, depending on buyer demand and requirements. (JDP/RGA-PIA CAR, with reports from DA-CAR)