The annual National Food Fair held by the Department of Trade and Industry has been cancelled amid the coronavirus threat. The event was set to showcase delicacies from the various regions of the country on Mar. 12 to 15.

However, farmers from Benguet have already delivered their vegetables to the city and with the cancellation of the event it was intended for, the vegetables may be put to waste if they are not made use of. As such, the Agribusiness Development Center (ADC) has taken these vegetables and made them available for sale to the public.

Kilograms of potatoes, cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, and more are available. Fruits such as strawberries, lemons, and even cherry tomato jams have been delivered to the Department of Agriculture at Quezon City. Interested buyers have to come to the venue and purchase it personally.

This morning, 1.6 tons mangoes from Guimaras were also reported to have been sold at the Department of Trade and Industry in Makati. Only a few hours after, the mangoes were all sold out.

Chefs, restaurant managers, and food and beverage industries can take this as an opportunity to buy fresh produce at an affordable price. However, as of writing, stocks from the cancelled National Food Fair have been lessened due to high demand. Despite this, the ADC will still be selling produce from local farmers from around Luzon every first three Thursdays and Fridays of the week. All of these can be bought at a more affordable price with the payments going directly to the farmers.

For more information, interested buyers can contact the ADC at the Department of Agriculture via 273-2474 local 2172.

Header photo courtesy of Willie Lumibao from Inquirer.net

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