CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Department of Agriculture (DA) Northern Mindanao has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the local government of Plaridel, Misamis Occidental, to establish a Kadiwa Trading Post aimed at improving the distribution of agricultural goods in the town.

Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Pacamalan announced Tuesday that the MOA for the Kadiwa Trading Post Enterprise was signed just before the New Year at the agency’s compound in Cagayan de Oro.

The agreement, led by the DA-10 Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), includes a P5 million financial grant under the 2024 Kadiwa Financial Grant Assistance Program. The program aims to connect farmers and fisherfolk directly with consumers, create new markets for small producers, and ensure affordable access to agricultural and fishery products.

The Plaridel LGU will follow the implementing guidelines for the grant and provide a 20 percent equity contribution to the total project cost.

Under the program, the DA continues to provide financial support to eligible farmers' and fisherfolk cooperatives, community-based organizations, state universities and colleges (SUCs), and local government units (LGUs) to enhance their capacities in value-adding activities within the food supply chain, including aggregation, processing, packing, storing, warehousing, transport, and distribution.