MANILA - Five of the country's biggest supermarket chains will now buy direct from onion and garlic farmers in a bid to dismantle cartels controlling these goods, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Sunday.

In an article published by the Notre Dame Broadcasting Center, Piñol said SM, Rustan's, Mindanao-based NCCC Mall, ShopWise and SaveMore committed on Saturday to source their garlic and onion supplies directly from farmers.

"With this development, I am seeing the start of the liberation of the country's onion and garlic farmers from the control of cartels who have monopolized the industry for ages now," Piñol wrote.

Piñol said he was able to convince NCCC Mall, a chain of about 20 supermarkets in Mindanao, to enter the deal by sending a text message to its vice president Riolinda Lim.

The four other companies, meanwhile, gave their pledge to buy directly from the farmers through Go Negosyo head Joey Concepcion, who has been appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as Presidential Adviser on Economic Enterprise.

"All that is needed now is for the Department of Agriculture to work out a system with which the onion farmers of the country, especially those from Bongabon, Nueva Ecija, will be able to deliver their produce to these chain of supermarkets," Piñol said.

He said he has instructed Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo to make arrangements with the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) to prepare a substantial loan package that will provide farmers with capital and allow them to build storage facilities.

The Agriculture chief will also meet with the farmers of Bongabon next week.