BOHOL, November 13, 2023 – To address and strengthen the sustainability of its agri-livelihood project grants, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) through its National Program Management Office (NPMO) commenced cascading of instruction in using the related forms appended in the Marketing Assistance and Enterprise Development (MAED) Guidelines, followed by an actual market study based on the farm products’ performance in the marketplace.
Underscoring the ambition of the Program to engage and develop a pool of micro-enterprises for its beneficiaries, four (4) NPMO staff conducted pilot testing in Central Visayas (Region 7) from October 17-20, 2023.
The Regional Program Management Support Office (RPMSO) and Provincial Program Management Support Office (PPMSO) staff were taught on how to use the templates and tools during the conduct of actual field activity in the SAAD-covered areas. The activity was focused on field application of the developed MAED tool. Lectures and workshops include conduct of field interviews and independent surveys, FCA informal discussions, actual validation to market outlets reflected on project proposals, and processing of field outputs based on gathered data.
In his discussion, SAAD-NPMO Operational, Planning, Budget, Monitoring, and Evaluation (OPBME) Unit Head Darwin Pamatmat stressed the need to conduct a market study to address the gaps in terms of marketing their products prior to establishment of sustainable CBEs.
“The data can be a good source of information which can be shared to the Management. Through this, we can determine where the market outlets are, the volume of demand needed and how the FAs can come up with plans to address the gap,” Mr. Pamatmat said.
The actual market study was led by the NPMO sub-unit Heads – Food Production and Livelihood, Kit Jasper Gopela and MAED, Ashley Mae Apigo; and MAED staff Christine Joyce Velez.
Conducted in the municipalities of Cortes, Dauis and Tagbilaran City, the pilot testing provided more insights as to the identification of existing and potential market outlets both for eggs and ube (kinampay) as well as the overhead cost that farmer associations could incur during the marketing of products.
It also provided further data on the demand for brown eggs which are sold at higher prices from September to December. Data served as the instrument (after accomplishing the CBE profitability assessment template) to assess whether the project aided in achieving one of SAAD’s goals to increase household income.
Moreover, the activity provided data relevant to the establishment of CBEs such as identified market outlets on a daily and weekly basis, as well as the demand and profitability of the commodities based on consumption and resale.
SAAD Central Visayas hopes to improve food production, address economic sustainability, and increase the variety of income sources of beneficiaries by creating CBEs in Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor. To prepare their projects for sustainable enterprise, MAED plans to focus on market research, collaboration with LGUs, and pre-enterprise development activities such as conduct of Training Needs Assessment (TNA) to FAs and establishing local market linkages. ###
Writer: Jessica R. Alvero, DA-SAAD Central Visayas Information Officer
Sources:
Celda B. Dinoy and Lemuel J. Mole, DA-SAAD Central Visayas MAED Unit
Ma. Reigelyn Malarijes, DA-SAAD Bohol Area Coordinator
