To keep prices low! Zamboanga Dried Fish Dealer

Confirms Need For Govt. Help
The President of Zamboanga Online Sellers Dried Fish Association has confirmed my claim that with government support in linking them directly with the consumers could drastically bring down the prices of dried fish.
Ranger Tan, a long-time follower of this page and supporter of my advocacy to link agri and aqua producers directly with consumers, said that the cost of transport is the main cause of very high prices of dried fish.
I am sharing here his unedited comment in the local language with the hope that his validation of my contention that government should come up with interventions in linking producers with consumers to make food affordable.
“Hindi din pwede bilhin namin ng mura sa mga fisherfolks ang dried fish para mabenta ng mura kasi mahal ang gasolina, pataas ng pataas pa ang presyo.
“Dapat balance pagbili namin.
“Nakakainsulto sa kanila kung barat buyers kami at nakakahiya din on our part as traders.
“Magandang po talaga ang advocacy nyo sir MannyPiñol may accurate data kyo sa farmers, im willing to also give our accurate data sa dried fish industry kasi po halos same lang ang issue.
“As the President of Zamboanga Online Sellers Dried Fish Association, im in constant dialogue with BFAR, DA and other Agencies.
“Believe me, wla pa sila mahanap na solusyon dito. Last year pa i already submited data na crisis ang dried fish industry, wala tlaga sila magagawa.
Ewan ko ba kung sino pa dapat lapitan ko para may mahanap na solusyon.”
“As a business owner or trader, financer of dried fish, specifically dried squid. One of the reason why we cant sell cheap to our national buyers or customers dahil pataas ng pataas expenses namin, heres my data. Mataas ang presyo ng gasolina, from the island bularan, our dried fish will be brought to the ferry in the other island or municipality, from the ferry o banca to zamboanga city, at zamboanga pier we pay labor, ang gate pass sa pier naging doble na ngayon, we also pay for transpo from pier to our bodega. We pay rent of our bodega, we pay taxes to the government, we pay for our business permit, may sinisweldohan pa kme na mga tauhan to help us in packing the orders of our buyers. Marami kami expenses. Nasa zamboanga payan ha. Hindi pa naipadala namin sa mga buyers. May gastusin pa kmi sa transportation once we send it to our buyers. My Opinion on this matter is, because of rising fuel,basic commodities and ect, because tumataas standard of living kaya pataas ng pataas narin bentahan ng mga traders like us. Kung pwede lang sana, maibaba ang operational cost or iderct na namin sa buyers ang products namin para less expenses, we will do it. Galing sa isla ng Barm ang kalakal namin, per sacko ang binabayaran namin or expenses namin is more than 1 thousand pesos. So just imagine kung laman ng sako is 50kls lang. Diba malulugi tlga kami”
#ListenToVoicesFromTheGround!