DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, May 15 (PIA) -- Farmers in hinterland areas in Negros Oriental will soon be involved in e-commerce as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) here plans to roll out its E4All Program.

DTI Provincial Director Nimfa Virtucio announced this during a Kapihan sa PIA forum where she also discussed her agency’s accomplishments in its programs related to the initiatives of the Poverty Reduction, Livelihood, and Employment Cluster (PRLEC) of the Negros Oriental Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NOTF ELCAC).

The E4 stands for Education, Engagement, Entrepreneurship, and E-Commerce while ALL pertains to Areas with Local Armed Conflict and Limited Access.

This is intended to be implemented in communities identified as priority areas for the government’s convergence efforts in relation to ELCAC initiative which are usually situated in far-flung areas.

“Kani siya it’s a B2B application (or) Business to Business application na ang mga farm producers sa ELCAC area mabaligya nato online kay ang problema sa mga remote area ang pag-market (This is a B2B or Business to Business application so that farm producers in ELCAC areas can sell their produce online because their main problem is how to market their products),” Virtucio said.

“It’s an online application. Existing na ni siya. Nisakay na lang ta and we will provide the farmers with Star Link Connection (The application is already existing and we are utilizing it for this purpose. We will provide farmers with Star Link connection),” she added.

Virtucio noted that Star Link uses a satellite dish for the internet connection which is viable especially in the hinterlands.

She also disclosed that there has already been initial talks between the provider of the application and the members of the Negros Oriental Hotels, Restaurants, and Resorts Association (NOHRRA) on the utilization of the app and generating the demand for the farm produce.

Virtucio said the next step for now is to capacitate farmers and train them on farming methods that would not result to overproduction of a single product.

She suggested that farmers plant their crops alternately.

If one farmer plants a tomato the other one can plant a different crop so that it would not result to overproduction of tomatoes which can also lead to low pricing due to the law of supply and demand.

Local Government Units (LGUs) also need to provide counterpart on this since this project needs a “Bagsakan Center” where the farmers’ produce can put in their products, sort, and pack for delivery.

Aside from this, there is also a need for transportation and logistics where the LGU can also provide intervention.

The E4All Program is also seen to limit the number of “middle men” involved in price negotiation and marketing of farm produce.

“It’s not that we do not want middle men. Naay gamit ang middle men but too much middle men, alkanse na ang atong farmers ana ug diadvantaged na ang mga cosnumer. Kay every balhin sa product to a middle man naa nay additional (cost). So alkanse na si farmer, alkanse pod si consumer (It’s not that we do not want middle men. Middle men also serve a purpose but too much middle men could disadvantage our farmers and the consumers. In every transport of a product to a middle man would entail an additional cost so it’s not beneficial for both the farmer and the consumer),” she said.

The Provincial Peace and Order Council granted its approval for the implementation of the project and has set aside an initial funding of P600, 000.

Virtucio said all these efforts are geared towards addressing the plight and easing the burden of farmers in far-flung areas since the role of the PRLEC of NOTF ELCAC is to provide livelihood opportunities to people in these communities. (RAL/PIA7 Negros Oriental)