The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has launched an e-commerce platform—Deliver-E—that allows consumers to buy products online directly from farmers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). So far, the platform has sold 260 metric tons of fruits and vegetables totaling P7.15 million in sales.
Deliver-E is designed to do away with inefficiencies in the traditional marketplace and is meant to “double the income” of farmers and small businesses as it attracts more buyers because of the lower prices of fresh produce. The idea is to eliminate middlemen who buy produce at minimal farmgate prices, only to turn around and jack up the price for retail consumers.
Bringing the government-merchant partnership online and collaborating with e-commerce champions Lazada, Shopee, Unionbank and GlobalLinker has meanwhile provided an effective and profitable platform for at least 243 MSMEs.
DTI is also urging Filipinos to buy local products and support small businesses in the agency’s last two Bagsakan trade fairs. Over P14 million was generated by the past 28 Bagsakan events. But that amount is just a fraction of the P80 million worth of goods being sold by 130 participating farmers and MSMEs in the fair.
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