To boost the government’s efforts in food security and better income for farmers, the Department of Agriculture (DA) turned over the enhanced KADIWA fund to create a permanent KADIWA store in Limay, Bataan.

In a statement on Thursday, Mar. 7, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said the DA allocated P5 million in the said budget to establish the KADIWA store, among the many agricultural initiatives set in Bataan province.

The allocation would benefit nearly four thousand members of the 28 farmer cooperatives and associations.

According to the DA, the project will have a trading capital valued at P1 million to support the permanent KADIWA center.

“A permanent KADIWA store in Limay promises affordable, fresh, and safe food for local consumers while providing farmers with increased income opportunities,” Tiu Laurel said. “However, this is just the beginning– more initiatives are needed to sustain this momentum.”

Meanwhile, the Limay Local Government Unit (LGU), Bataan Peninsula State University, and Limay Polytechnic College signed an agreement with the DA to launch the Zero Kilometer Food Project (Zero KM).

The DA chief said that this initiative helps the community understand, plan, and manage food supply effectively.

“Implementing this concept at the grassroots level within municipalities is where its true impact lies. It addresses the critical issue of food supply and demand at the local level, echoing concerns that resonate at the provincial and national levels,” he added.

Zero KM is an initiative that began last year in Hermosa and Dinalupihan to advocate for healthy consumption through locally-grown produce.

Tiu Laurel explained that promoting agriculture in barangays would ensure that food reaches consumers without any common issues faced in production, and stating that “this, in turn, lays the groundwork for data-driven interventions aimed at meeting local needs and exploring export opportunities.”

Other programs that would provide benefits to local growers include the Limay Invests for Farmers’ Triumph (LIFT), which is an effort between the Limay LGU and the MENSCH Fil-Am Corp., a private sector partner.

The DA’s High-Value Crops Development Program is also part of the LIFT to provide local farmers with interest-free loans.

Tiu Laurel also helped inaugurate the Anthony Villanueva Farm’s drop-fertigation system, as he believed that this underscore the importance of science-based methods in the Agriculture sector.

This infrastructure utilizes water infused with soluble fertilizers and micronutrients which are used in irrigation to boost produce quality and yield. This system was also carried out at the 1Bataan Farms, Dinalupihan.

The agriculture sector continues to look for modernized systems through mechanization, infrastructure development, and science-based strategies to secure food production and improve the livelihood of farmers and fisherfolk.