E-commerce platforms can help businesses offering agricultural products and services and farmers thrive during the quarantine amid the pandemic.

Synergizing Recovery Initiatives. Knowledge, and Adaptation Practices for MSMEs or SIKAP, a unified online business recovery hub that will help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) bounce forward to the ‘next normal’, said the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic caused most farmers to have difficulty in selling their crops because of movement restrictions.

“This caused farmers to turn to social media to sell their products or give them away for free. What farmers need is a strong connection with markets especially during these trying times,” it said.

SIKAP said one can assist the sector by coordinating with their local government units (LGUs) on how to link farmers to markets.

“You can also be an avenue yourself by contacting farmers and helping them connect with your market,” it said. “The agriculture sector will always remain as the main industry in our tropical country, and now is an important time for us to show our support to our farmers.”

It also urged support for farmers by buying their produce from them directly.

“After buying from the farmers, you can also resell it to other people. That way, you can generate income for yourself as well. The produce can also be used in community kitchens and relief packages of local government units,” SIKAP added.

It said they can create a community of people willing to buy directly from farmers by promoting the idea of buying fruits and vegetables from them.

SIKAP also called on everyone to plant and distribute seeds in their communities, as urban agriculture is becoming more popular nowadays.

“Planting fruits and vegetables in your garden is a small yet impactful way of promoting agriculture. It is an activity you can do during the pandemic as it does not require you to leave your home,” it said.

“You can also share seeds in your community to also encourage them to plant fruits and vegetables. Coordinate with your local government unit in distributing these seeds,” it added.

Meanwhile, SIKAP was developed by Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation with the support of the Connecting Business initiative, and in partnership with UNDP Philippines and United Nations OCHA Philippines.