To help in the country’s program of food sufficiency and availability of vegetables at affordable prices in various local markets, the National Market Vendors Confederation of Cooperatives (NAMVESCO) and the Federation of Benguet Farmers Cooperatives mutually agreed to engage in vegetable marketing. Four (4) tons of assorted vegetables were transported to Valenzuela City, Metro Manila as initial order of NAMVESCO from the farmers’ federation last November 26, 2022. The marketing tie-up was made possible through the encouragement of Cooperative Development Authority-Cordillera Administrative Region Extension Office Regional Director Marieta P. Hwang for NAMVESCO to open its doors for the marketing of highland vegetables produced in Benguet and adjoining provinces. The succeeding deliveries shall be dependent on the result of the pilot trading that commenced last Friday.
With the support and coordination of CDA CAR, collaboration are being undertaken by NAMVESCO’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramil C. Santos and Federation of Benguet Farmers Cooperative General Manager Frederick G. Edeco to ensure the success of the endeavor.
A joint meeting held on October 28, 2022, at the Strawberry Valley Hotel and Restaurant attended by Officers of both federations.. With instruction from the CDA -CAR Regional Director,Marieta P. Hwang, the meeting was facilitated by Mr. Lotes P. Lab-oyan in coordination with NAMVESCO and Federation of Benguet Farmers Cooperative.Mr. Joaquin Geronimo M. Depalog, Jr., Chairman of the Federation of Benguet Farmers Cooperative and NAMVESCO CEO, Ramil C. Santos coordinated with their respective officers and affiliates that paved way to this pilot activity. Another output of the meeting was the tagline: Pagkakaisa ng Kooperatiba, Murang Gulay sa Lamesa”. The tie-up activity is a three-pronged approach aimed to help the farmers, market vendors, and consumers. As Benguet Federation of Farmers Cooperative members finds difficulty in marketing their products, the federation thought of becoming the consolidator of various vegetable products to be delivered to NAMVESCO affiliates based in the National Capital Region (NCR). The NAMVESCO shall likewise consolidate the volume requirements of its affiliates as a basis for determining the volume to be transported from CAR. As to pricing, the group agreed to find ways in helping vendors source cheaper products to be sold at competitive rates to benefit the consumers. Also, it was agreed that NAMVESCO affiliates; mostly market vendors cooperatives, will distribute the vegetables on a wholesale basis to their members. This is to avoid competition between cooperatives and their members.
Further, it was agreed by both parties that various government agencies shall be tapped during the formalization of the agreement. (Lotes P. Lab-oyan, CDA-CAR)
