Rescue buy! Get 6 kilos of carrots for P299 from Benguet

MANILA, Philippines – Here’s another local rescue buy to support from social enterprise Rural Rising – six kilos of freshly-harvested, untrimmed, and unwashed carrots for just P299!

The nonprofit agricultural organization is helping out a farmer from Kabayan, Benguet, who has a truckload of carrots about to spoil.

“This is what we are saying about farmers relying only on middlemen to dispose their produce, about the distribution system being broken. At a time when carrots and cabbages are in such high demand in Metro Manila groceries and supermarkets, truckloads of them are spoiling in the provincial sun,” Rural Rising said.

“When these farmers from Kabayan, Benguet learned that there was a good price for carrots and cabbages at the Nueva Vizcaya Agricultural Terminal (NVAT), they hurriedly harvested their produce and travelled there. They got there but where are the buyers? Three days they waited, three days they hoped, walang (there were no) buyers,” they added.

From December 31 to January 2, the sorted carrots and cabbages were left unclaimed and eventually spoiled, leaving the farmers without any take-home pay. “Only the cows are happy. Napakalungkot po nga bagong taon (It was a truly sad new year),” said one farmer.

As of this writing, there are still over 100 slots available for the 6 kilos of carrots – just place your order on Rural Rising’s website. The dispatch date is on Sunday, January 15.

Rural Rising also has an ongoing cabbage rescue buy from Sta. Catalina, Ilocos Sur, at P299 for five kilos. The freshly-harvested cabbages’ dispatch date has yet to be confirmed.

The two pick-up points are the RuRi House in 72 Maayusin Street, UP Village, Diliman, Quezon City, and RuRi South at Old Transport Terminal Bldg, Alabang Town Center, Theater Dr., Ayala Alabang.

The carrots rescue buy comes a week after Rural Rising held a jumbo strawberry rescue buy of Madaymen strawberries from Benguet farmers.

RuRi is also holding another Box-All-You-Can event at Ayala Malls Feliz, Marikina City from January 28-29, where for just P699 per person, you can fill up a 14″ x 14″ box to the brim with as many locally-produced fruits and vegetables as you can in 10 minutes. All proceeds from each batch are given directly to local farmers and agri-entrepreneurs. You can sign up for a slot online.

Rural Rising’s mission is to “harness the full potential of agriculture to support the country’s food security.” – Steph Arnaldo/Rappler.com