DA eyes rollout of smuggled sugar at Kadiwa stores in April

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Wednesday it is targeting to start selling confiscated smuggled sugar at Kadiwa centers by April this year.

Interviewed on Dobol B TV, DA spokesperson Kristine Evangelista said the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the initiative is being finalized so that the commodity could be sold at Kadiwa stores, Kadiwa on Wheels, and even Kadiwa-accredited retailers in markets.

“Siguro, if we are looking at April na rollout, I think this is very realistic. By then, ‘yung allocations ng mga Kadiwa stores natin pagdating ng ilang sacks ng sugar ang ibabagsak sa kanila para makabenta sila ng per kilo, ‘yan ang ating inaayos. Tinitingnan din natin how long the supplies will last also,” she said.

(I think it is very realistic if we are looking at an April rollout. By then we had fixed our allocations of sacks of sugar at our Kadiwa stores so they could sell them per kilo. We are also looking at how long the supplies will last.)

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said on Tuesday that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. approved the sale of 4,000 metric tons of smuggled refined sugar at Kadiwa centers in the amount equivalent to the actual mill gate price, which is P70 per kilo.

Once sold at Kadiwa stores, Evangelista said a family may only be allowed to buy a maximum of two kilos, subject to the final IRR.

She also said that the DA is considering selling other smuggled commodities like rice and vegetables at Kadiwa stores.

“Yes, isa ‘yan sa ating mga tinitignan dahil ngayon na nakita din natin na marami nang tumatangkilik sa Kadiwa. This is the best way din as of now para magkaroon ng accessibility to affordable agricultural commodities. Those are also being looked into,” she said.

(Yes, that is one of the things we are looking at now that we have also seen that there are many people buying from Kadiwa stores. This is also the best way as of now for them to have accessibility to affordable agricultural commodities.)

The Kadiwa center is a program of the DA that aims to provide the public with affordable goods. —KBK, GMA Integrated News