SULTAN KUDARAT, September 29, 2022 – To provide essential information on building successful agricultural entrepreneurship, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program conducted a Training on Agri-enterprise and Development and Project Proposal Making to 90 participants from 30 farmers cooperatives and associations’ (FCAs) in the provinces of Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.
Three (3) members from each of the FCAs participated in the training aimed at providing information on the various pathways of the farmers to start their own agri-enterprise from their projects received from the program. These FCAs are engaged in various crop production and livestock and poultry raising.
In a series of two-day activities, from September 13-14 and September 15-16, each FCA representative from the two provinces were taught the structure, functions and responsibilities, visioning and goal setting, benefits of an organized group, and the core values. These were thoroughly explained by one of the event speakers, Market Specialist I Rey Yllanan.
Mr. Yllanan also shared his expertise in business enterprise development, agribusiness mind-setting, planning, problem-solving and decision-making, and project proposal preparation.
SAAD Project Evaluation Officer I, Naire Junas Demello discussed simple bookkeeping and financial management, which primarily involve recording financial transactions. This allows the entity to see how its business is performing over time, realize what is missing, and thereby permit them to consider options that would transform it.Table 1. Projects received by 30 FCAs
| FCA | Project received | Status |
| Cotabato | ||
| 993 FA (75 members) |
FY 2021 Integrated Corn Production with Vegetable Production | – recorded Php 2.8 million net income from their last cropping last December 2021
Read at https://bit.ly/3E3arxo. – 25-hectare corn production is now on next cropping |
| Minto FA (20 members) |
FY 2022 Integrated Upland Rice Production with Vegetable Production and Postharvest Equipment Support | – offered their rice mill and rice thresher for farm servicing since they are yet to receive the upland rice seeds in the next quarter |
| Lower Teren-Teren FA (50 members) |
FY 2021 Integrated Upland Rice with Livestock and Vegetable Production | – earned Php 1.5 million gross income from a 50ha upland rice production last November 2021
Read at https://bit.ly/3fqgGRw. |
| New Leon Multipurpose Cooperative (120 members) |
FY 2020 Layer Chicken | – individually implemented, and the chicken (5 head each member) provided them eggs for daily consumption |
| Aleosan Multipurpose Cooperative (120 members) |
FY 2020 Native Goat Production | – all goats have produced offspring and turned over to the next-in-line beneficiaries |
| Galilee Rural Improvement Club (25 members) |
FY 2019 Corn Production | – now with 25 women members, the association produces chichacorn and banana chips
– through the SAAD Program, they received a Php 1.5 million worth of food processing building to support their production where their initial 500 bags increased fivefold |
| Capayuran Farmers Credit Cooperative (40 members) |
FY 2022 Native Goat Production | – goats received last April 2022 to be raised for milk and meat production |
| Luayon FA (90 members) |
FY 2022 Integrated Swine Production with Vegetable Production | – received 11 swine this year for production
– vegetable inputs will be distributed in the next quarter |
| Quality Circle of Womens FA (90 members) |
FY 2022 Integrated Swine Production with Vegetable Production | – received 11 swine this year for production
– vegetable inputs will be distributed in the next quarter |
| Unity FA (148 members) |
FY 2022 Integrated Corn Production with Vegetable Production and Postharvest Equipment Support | – received corn seeds, 1 corn mill, and 1 corn sheller last March 2022
– simultaneous harvests of corn is expected this September to October |
| New Alimodian Women’s Association (100 members) |
Layer Chicken Production (FY 2021 savings) | – provided last June 2022 and after a month selling eggs gave the group a partial income of Php 8,988 (July to August) |
| Sto Niño Integrated FA (60 members) |
FY 2022 Native Goat Production | – from the 11 goats received, 5 are now pregnant
– 4 packs of forage seeds will be distributed next week |
| Talun-talunan FA (10 members) |
FY 2022 Native Goat Production | – from the 11 goats received, 4 are now pregnant
– 4 packs of forage seeds will be distributed next week |
| Consortium of Gumaga MRDP-CFAD (73 members) |
FY 2022 Integrated Mallard Duck Production with Vegetable Production | – received 220 ducks which initially provided them 2 trays of eggs |
| Palongoguen FA (158 members) |
FY 2022 Mallard Duck Production | – started to gather an average of 1 tray of duck eggs daily |
| Midsayap Vegetable FA (81 members) |
FY 2021 (savings) Vegetable Seeds Support | – harvested for consumption |
| Malagakit FA (25 members) |
FY 2021 Native Goat Production | – all 10 goats are pregnant |
| Samahang Magsasaka ng Brgy. Ulamian FA (73 members) |
FY 2021 Mallard Duck Production | – duck eggs are for the consumption of the members |
| Moroland FA (63 members) |
FY 2022 Integrated Upland Rice Production with Vegetable Production and Postharvest Equipment Support | – waiting for inputs to be distributed in the next quarter |
| Sunshine Vegetable FA (25 members) |
FY 2021 Integrated Corn Production with Vegetable Production | – earning Php 600 per week from selling vegetable
– earned Php 90,000 from its last cropping |
| Liliongan FA (63 members) |
FY 2020 Cattle Dispersal | – the 2 cattles provided helped the FA from various farm activities |
| Sitio New Alimodian Peace and Development FA (82 members) |
FY 2022 Integrated Corn Production with Vegetable Production and Postharvest Equipment Support | – they earned Php 188,922 net income from their corn and Php 2,408 from farm servicing of their corn sheller |
| Sitio Lawitan Tri-people FA (173 members) |
FY 2022 Integrated Upland Rice Production with Vegetable Production and Postharvest Equipment Support | – initially received rice mill and rice thresher; waiting for the delivery of upland rice seeds and vegetable inputs |
| Basak FA (271 members) |
FY 2020 Mallard Duck Production | – duck eggs collected per day are for consumption of the members |
| Sultan Kudarat | ||
| Basag Free Farmers Cooperative (40 members) |
FY 2022 Integrated Upland Rice with Vegetable Production and Postharvest Equipment Support | – initially received rice mill and rice thresher, waiting for the delivery of upland rice seeds and vegetable inputs |
| Makat FA (50 members) |
FY 2021 Cardava Production | – banana seedlings were planted last December 2021, harvest is expected 15-16 months |
| Balnate FA (20 members) |
FY 2022 Integrated Upland Rice with Vegetable Production and Postharvest Equipment Support | – initially received rice mill and rice thresher, waiting for the delivery of upland rice seeds and vegetable inputs |
| Tribal Christian FA (50 members) |
FY 2021 Integrated Upland Rice with Vegetable and Poultry production | – due to rodent infestations, the association’s low harvest last September 2021 were intended for consumption only |
| Palimbang Entrepreneurs and ARB Cooperative (20 members) |
FY 2022 Cacao Production | – waiting for the delivery of cacao planting materials this year |
| Mahayahay FA (40 members) |
FY 2022 Integrated Upland Rice with Vegetable Production and Postharvest Equipment | – initially received rice mill and rice thresher, waiting for the delivery of upland rice seeds and vegetable inputs |
The training was facilitated by the SAAD Focal Person, Engr. Julie Mie Belongan together with the DA-12 Field Operations Division Chief Zaldy Boloron, Sultan Kudarat Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer Marvin Segovia, and the regional and provincial program staff.
One of the SAAD Program’s major components is Marketing Assistance and Enterprise Development designed to help its beneficiaries sustain the project beyond production for sustenance, also for livelihood purposes. That is why several projects are mapped out as platforms for FCA’s enterprise development efforts. For example, poultry and livestock production projects were directed for beneficiaries to go into egg, meat, and livestock businesses, while value-addition was promoted for rice and corn-based products.
Agripreneurship is one way to revitalize and modernize the agriculture and fishery sectors by encouraging the farmer groups to sustain the projects provided to them through the establishment of a community-based enterprise. With this, the program management is strengthening its beneficiaries by inculcating the right values and correct leadership to avoid conflict among the members leading to disbandment.
Shaping its group beneficiaries into a tight-knit organization creates better opportunities, market linkages, and sustainability of source of income. ###
Writers:
Jennifer A. Valcobero, DA-SAAD NPMO Public Relations and Comms Officer
Aisa L. Tina, DA-SAAD 12 Information Officer
Data Sources:
Anisa Allyn Dilangalen, Cotabato Information Officer
Kristine Benitez, Sultan Kudarat Information Officer
Josephine Ting, Project Evaluation Officer 1
Nancy Ignacio, Project Evaluation Officer 1
Ma.Christina Taguran, Project Evaluation Officer 1
Ryan Jeams Claud, Project Evaluation Officer 1
Monaisa Balayanan, Project Evaluation Officer 1
Noraisa Bucucan, Information Officer
July Silvestre, Admin Officer
