Local farmers struggle to sell unsold, excess tomatoes. Here’s how to help them.

A social enterprise came to the rescue of unsold tomatoes in Nueva Ecija from a farmer whose daughter is suffering from a debilitating condition.

In two separate posts, Rural Rising Philippines (RuRi), a non-government organization that conducts “rescue buys” for farmers, shared the plight of the tomato farmer who asked them for help.

RELATED: Local family of farmers struggle after unsold broccolis, crops rot. Here’s how to help them. 

In one of the posts on February 5, RuRi shared a video that showed sacks of tomatoes that were about to be thrown away due to a lack of buyers.

This footage was sent by the tomato farmer who reached out to them for help.

“Is it tomato dumping season? Apparently, it is. This has been an issue these past few years and it is one of the reasons why we became Rural Rising. The first farmers we rescued were those who had unsold tomatoes because of COVID-19 travel restrictions and lack of buyers,” RuRi said in the post.

The farmer from Lupao, Nueva Ecija also has a sick daughter named Jodie who is suffering from a debilitating medical condition.

“A tomato farmer from Lupao, Nueva Ecija sent us this video. Her difficulties are not only finding buyers for the [product] but having to watch her daughter Jodie suffer from a debilitating condition. This is probably one of the most heart-breaking [videos] that a farmer has ever sent us,” RuRi said.

RuRi shared a video of Jodie in another post on Sunday, February 5. In the video, the daughter asked for donations to help with her medication.

Ally Estrada, a member of RuRi, then asked the public for support and prayers for this family.

“We wish to rescue her tomatoes and ease her burdens. Will you please support this effort and send prayers for her family?” she said on Facebook.

Interested individuals may donate any amount to help the family’s expenses through RuRi’s donation channels. They can also add “a note or message of hope” with their donations.

The tomatoes, meanwhile, can be purchased at a bargain price of P450 for 10 kilos.

The orders can be picked up at the following locations:

Those who live in the North can pick up their orders at the following:

RuRi House—72 Maayusin Street, UP Village, Diliman, Quezon City

Here’s the Google Maps link for this address: https://goo.gl/maps/eKSdY7J2wx7AoMS49

Those who live in the South of Manila can pick up their orders at the following:

RuRi South—Old Transport Terminal Bldg., Alabang Town Center, Theater Dr., Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City

Here’s the Google Maps link for this address: https://goo.gl/maps/eKSdY7J2wx7AoMS49

Other rescue buys

Last week, RuRi took the initiative to help another farmer in Nueva Vizcaya whose unsold tomatoes were about to be thrown away.

Photos of the excess supply of crops also previously made rounds on social media.

The photos showed a vacant lot in Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya that was filled with red, ripe tomatoes.

RuRi offered these products at P450 for ten kilos to help the farmer in need. Details about this rescue buy effort were posted on Facebook.

On Monday, February 5, the enterprise posted an updated list of “rescue crops” that interested buyers can still avail of.