CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, March 14, 2023 – Covering new areas for the Phase 2 implementation, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Region 10 implementers in Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, and Camiguin outlined its social preparation activities to prepare new farmers associations for livelihood rollout.

In the Phase 2 planning workshop with staff from the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO)  of SAAD-covered Local Government Units (LGUs), DA-SAAD Northern Mindanao (10) Regional Program Management Support Office (RPMSO) assessed the feasibility of the proposed agri-enterprise projects for the target Farmers Cooperative and Associations (FCAs). With the end goal of equipping the FCAs with enterprise building, the region takes careful consideration especially on the sustainability and profitability of the projects to be engaged by the farmer groups.

DA-SAAD 10 and the LGUs tackled project matching, underlining the FCAs’ capacity to manage their proposed projects, and variables affecting production such as topography and climate in their area. Noting the regional supply and demand situation, the FCAs are encouraged to identify and engage in the production of insufficient agricultural products (crops and livestock produce) in their locality to ensure a ready market for their proposed community-based agri-enterprise. 

SAAD is a special program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) designed to curb socio-economic poverty effects in conflict-stricken, isolated, calamity-vulnerable areas in the country by providing agri-livelihood projects to rural farmers. For Phase 2, the program will run for 6 years (2023-2028) in 26 municipalities belonging to the 5th to 6th income class and having the highest poverty incidence in four (4) provinces in Region 10 (Table 1).Table 1. Provinces and municipalities covered for SAAD Phase 2

According to Ms. Lana May S. Racines, DA-SAAD 10 Focal Person, the program is conducting Beneficiary Needs Assessment (BNA) until the first quarter of 2023 to determine fitting agricultural projects for the FCAs. 

SAAD will assist and equip the eligible farmer-beneficiaries from the production to the marketing phase until they engage in the commercial production of rice, corn, livestock, or high-value crops. The FCAs will be continuously assisted by SAAD within the 6-year period until such time they can independently manage their enterprise.

Qualified FCAs and their proposed enterprise will be officially endorsed by the Local Chief Executive through the MAO to DA-SAAD 10 signifying the DA-LGU partnership in Program implementation. 

In his message, DA-10 OIC-Regional Executive Director, Carlene C. Collado, challenged the LGUs to implement the SAAD Program with a strong intent to develop the local agriculture sector. 

“Our farmers need our assistance the most amid the emerging local and global challenges in the agriculture sector. Us, in DA and you in the LGU, should work as one in providing our farmers the help they need to better their livelihood. Let us always remember, agricultural development is imperative in attaining economic prosperity in your respective area,” RED Collado said. ### 

Writer: Azbie Talib, DA-10 RAFIS Staff