The Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office in Central Luzon (DA-RFO3) has assured the continuous and efficient delivery of agricultural products to Metro Manila following the re-imposition of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

The National Capital Region (NCR) is under ECQ from Aug. 6 to 20 this year.

Fernando Lorenzo, chief of the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) of the DA-RFO3, said on Friday based on the directive of Secretary William Dar, they have been mobilized to assist in seeing to it that food supplies are regularly moved to Metro Manila.

Lorenzo said the region can bring 290 to 300 metric tons of agricultural supply to NCR daily.

He said they will assist in the accreditation and registration of traders or “viajeros” who will enter NCR in terms of access to the drop-off points and sites for KADIWA ni Ani at Kita, a marketing program designed to help farmers and fishermen amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“We are also readying our KADIWA trucks whenever necessary to transport the produce of our farmers,” he said in an official social media account post.

He said the DA is ready to help farmers to sell their harvests whether in a group or individually.

To maximize the use of the KADIWA trucks, he said the agricultural products to be transported to Metro Manila must be at least 2.5 metric tons or higher.

Meanwhile, Chat Libut, AMAD marketing specialist, said food passes issued last year can still be used by suppliers in transporting their agricultural products to Metro Manila.

Truckers and the “viajeros” transporting vegetable and root crops are allowed to present their food passes at quarantine checkpoints. (PNA)