Here's How You Can Help Farmers With the Oversupply of Tomatoes

(SPOT.ph) There have been countless instances of oversupply of fruits, veggies, and other crops in the last couple of months, but thankfully, there are initiatives that help bridge the gap between farmers and consumers. This time around, it's the farmers from Mataddi in Nagtipunan, Quirino who need a helping hand. They are dropping off a huge load of fresh tomatoes in Manila on July 7 and you can help them out by purchasing their produce through online platform Mayani. The price is currently set at just P50 for two kilos with delivery scheduled for July 8. 

Around 70 farmers will be harvesting their tomatoes on July 5. A total of nine tons is expected to be harvested, and all of which will be put up for selling online as the pandemic limits their usual selling channels. A considerable percentage of the tomatoes will turn overripe in a couple of days and will go to waste unless sold.

The local authorities in Quirino, together with the Department of Trade and Industry Region II, teamed up with the Mataddi farmers to bring their tomatoes closer to buyers here in Metro Manila. They collaborated with the e-commerce platform to open up more ways to sell and lessen the chances of the farmers' produce going to waste. 

"The lockdown has really exposed the inefficiencies of our agri-supply chain and how vulnerable it is to shocks," JT Solis, co-founder and chief executive of Mayani, said in a statement. Their platform is one way for farmers to be able to reach customers they couldn't reach before. 

The Mataddi farmers produced around nine tons of tomatoes on a weekly basis before quarantine restrictions took a hit on their business. 

For more information, log on to the Mayani PH website

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