Self-Reliance! Organic Rice Farmers Start Delivery to Metro

Mindanao’s Organic Rice Farmers have pooled their resources to make their biggest ever single delivery to Metro Manila – 650 metric tons of Black, Red and Brown Rice worth P46-M.

The huge singular sale of Organic Rice is the direct result of the successful staging of the MinDA Tienda sa Manila last month.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso who supported the MinDA Tienda sa Manila initiated the purchase of the Mindanao Organic Rice which will be distributed to the Senior Citizens of his city.

Since the Don Bosco Multi-Purpose Cooperative does not have enough funds to consolidate the needed supply, farmers who belong to the Mindanao Organic Rice Council (MORCO) offered their produce to be paid later.

To be able to pay for the packaging, boxes and transport, Don Bosco had to borrow money from informal lenders at very high interest rates.

This move touched me so much and made me realize how inadequate is our government’s financial support programs for our farmers.

In spite of these difficulties, Mindanao’s Organic Rice Farmers will overcome and succeed.

In fact, with the City of Manila showing the way, other Metro Manila local government units have also expressed interest in buying Mindanao’s Organic Rice.

#KungGustoMaramingParaan!

#GovernanceIsCommonSense!

(Photos by Angelu Labrador, MinDA.)