The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday urged local tomato farmers to coordinate for direct market linkages amid the harvest season.

This came after farmgate prices of tomatoes reportedly dropped to PHP4 per kilogram to PHP5/kg in some areas.

In an interview, DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said the DA can provide local farmers with market access at a reasonable buying price.

“Tutulungan namin sila kung saan pwedeng i-market sa malapit na palengke o sa ating Kadiwa sa mga (We will help there where to market [their produce] either in the nearby markets or in our Kadiwa [centers] in the) regions,” he said.

De Mesa said farmers can seek assistance from municipal agriculturists or DA regional field offices.

He called on traders to refrain from taking advantage of the local farmers.

De Mesa, however, underscored the need for cold storage facilities to address fluctuating farmgate and retail prices considering the seasonality of agricultural commodities like tomatoes and onions.

The DA earlier said they expect to operationalize the Mega cold storage facility in Taguig City by 2026, which has a storage capacity of 5,000 metric tons. (PNA)