By Chito Chavez
In its bid to provide affordable farm produce to the public, the Quezon City government will be putting up “Fresh Market” stalls every weekend at the Quezon Memorial Circle that will boost the income of farmers from participating provinces.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte
(FACEBOOK / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The farmer-to-consumer program “Fresh Market’’ initiated by Mayor Joy Belmonte and the “Kaya Natin” Movement serves as a venue for farmers from nearby provinces to sell their harvest directly to the customer.
Belmonte assured local residents the farm produce being sold will be reasonably priced since the products will no longer pass through middlemen which usually entail additional cost.
Fred Garcia, Belmonte’s information officer, said the “Fresh Market’’ will be open from 6 a.m. on Saturdays until 12 noon the following day (Sunday).
“Also, farmers are being assisted by their respective local government units in bringing their goods to Quezon City, so no transportation cost will be passed on to consumers,” said Belmonte.
As of now, Belmonte said partner-farmers from Cavite, Bataan, Quezon, Camarines Norte and Nueva Ecija have availed the opportunity to sell their products directly to the consumers.
“We expect the list of provinces to grow as we continue to reach out to farmers from nearby provinces to grab the chance to earn additional income,” said Belmonte.
She encouraged residents of Quezon City and other nearby cities to help boost farmers’ income by availing of the farm produce being sold like rice, vegetables and fruits from the “Fresh Market.”
The “Fresh Market” is one of Belmonte’s commitments to healthy food and food security when she attended the World Mayors Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark.