A LAWMAKER here pushed for an ordinance establishing a farm-to-market app to support agriculture in the city through the digital technology revolution.
Councilor Bonz Andrei Militar, committee chair on information technology, introduced the proposal during the 21st City Council’s regular session on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
“The central part of the ordinance is the creation of a dedicated Farm-to-Market Digital Platform. This application will allow our farmers and fisherfolk to sell their produce directly to the people,” Militar said.
Food security, Militar said, is crucial for progress and development as the local government could not position itself as a smart city if it could not even feed its people.
“For too long, our food producers have been at the mercy of the middlemen who drive prices up for consumers while keeping the profits for themselves,” he said.
He stressed that the middlemen take the largest share of the profit since farmers and fisherfolk are forced to sell their produce at bargain-basement prices to prevent it from spoiling due to a lack of market access.
Through the digital platform, Militar said the middleman is eliminated, bridging the gap between the farm and the table.
The food producers can directly market and sell their produce to bulk buyers, establishments, and households through the app.
Consumers can order directly from the app and ensure they get fresh produce and stocks at fair prices without the markup of the middleman.
The councilor proposed that the app will show real-time market prices, eliminating the informal and often unfair pricing practices that affect the farmers and fisherfolk.
“It will also secure buyers before or during harvest, and will drastically reduce post-harvest losses, ensuring that every kilo of sweat results in a kilo of paid produce,” he said.
The councilor clarified that the platform will not incur any additional costs or fees for the farmers and fisherfolk.
Once established, the Barangay Council for Agricultural Development (BCAD) will help farmer and fisherfolk groups with validation and onboarding, coordination, and monitoring, and ensure program sustainability.
In terms of funding, Militar said the platform will not impose any additional financial burden on the city government or spend millions on private software developers.
“The City Government of Butuan, as the pioneer of the AgriBOOST initiative, has expressed willingness to share its source code for the AgriBOOST app, subject to our formal coordination and agreement,” he stressed.
Militar is positive for the speedy implementation of the landmark ordinance as Mayor Sebastian Duterte has expressed strong support and has approved the proposal.
