The Department of Agriculture (DA) is strengthening its market early-warning system to help farmers avoid the steep losses that can come when harvests outpace demand.
The Agricultural Marketing Assistance Service is developing a system that will give the government earlier visibility into expected harvests, weather disruptions, logistics problems and other developments that could affect the movement of farm produce. The aim is to connect farmers with buyers sooner, redirect excess supply and prevent vegetables from spoiling or being sold at sharply reduced prices.
Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra, assistant secretary for agribusiness, marketing and consumer affairs and head of KADIWA ng Pangulo, said the system would complement regional help desks by providing a clearer picture of conditions along the farm-to-market chain.
“We want to move from reacting to problems to anticipating them,” Guevarra said.
She said regular harvest projections would allow the DA to plan interventions earlier, while more timely and transparent farmgate price monitoring could help address potential abuses by middlemen. The system could also prompt government assistance for transportation, logistics and other supply-chain needs before disruptions worsen.
The DA plans to expand its information campaign as well, particularly among farmers operating in major trading centers, so they are more aware of KADIWA programs and the assistance available to them.
Another priority is improving coordination with government agencies that could serve as institutional buyers for highland vegetables. By creating additional outlets, the DA hopes to prevent sudden harvest surpluses from overwhelming trading centers and leaving farmers with few options for selling their produce.
The issue is especially pressing for vegetable growers, whose seasonal harvests can quickly exceed market demand. In some cases, farmers have resorted to leaving unsold vegetables by the roadside rather than paying transportation costs for produce that may not earn enough to cover expenses.
That can turn a good harvest into a financial setback after farmers have already spent on seeds, fertilizer, labor and transport.
The early-warning system is being positioned as an interim measure while the government works on longer-term infrastructure, including large-scale cold storage and vegetable processing facilities.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the recent supply-chain problems in Benguet underscored the need for greater storage and processing capacity, particularly when extreme weather disrupts transport.
He said the DA has set aside funding for 2027 for mega cold storage and vegetable processing facilities to be built beside the Benguet Agri Pinoy Trading Center, subject to congressional approval of the proposed budget.
In the meantime, the department is pursuing stopgap measures, including the rehabilitation of existing cold storage facilities and the installation of smaller units to increase storage capacity.
Together with the early-warning system, the measures are intended to give farmers more time and more options when large harvests threaten to overwhelm the market—reducing the likelihood that abundant produce will end up wasted or sold below cost.