Palace: Kadiwa stores have benefited 1.22M consumers, 450 farmer coops

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s initiative to open Kadiwa stores across the country has generated P418 million in sales, Malacañang said on Saturday.

The Office of the Press Secretary said the 19,383 Kadiwa stores have served 1.22 million household consumers and benefitted 450 farmer cooperatives and associations and agri-fishery enterprises nationwide.

The Kadiwa stores were launched to provide farmers with loans, reduce logistics costs, and improve agricultural infrastructure.

Under the Kadiwa ng Pasko caravan, which the administration intends to continue beyond the holiday, more than P15 million were generated in sales as of 11 December, according to Malacañang.

"On the production side, the administration concentrated this year on distributing unused agricultural lands to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries with the aim of increasing productivity; 52,000 hectares of unused lands have been identified for distribution," Press Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil said.

"At least 19,199 Certificates of Land Ownership Award were distributed to 11,938 ARBs since Marcos assumed office up to 10 December."

The government also distributed seeds, fertilizer, fuel discount vouchers, farm inputs, and materials, and provided farmers with irrigation facilities.

The beneficiaries included 1.06 million rice farmers and 3,528 farmer cooperatives and associations.

"In terms of credit and financial assistance, the government extended P1.25 billion in loans to 10,586 small farmers and fishers and 119 registered micro and small agri-fishery enterprises and farmer and fisherfolk organizations," Garafil said.

"This is in addition to the P482.52 million in loans to 35,222 SSFs and one MSE borrower," he added.

The government also imposed a moratorium on the collection of pass-through fees and constructed more rural infrastructure.

To attain its goals for agriculture, the administration said it will focus on increasing production using research and modern technologies, improving value chain efficiency, and increasing farmers' income to encourage more Filipinos to venture into agriculture, particularly the youth.