To elevate farmers’ associations capability on community-based enterprises in the digital age, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga, through the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program, conducted a two-day training on smart business management using practical digital tools on April 21–22, 2026, in Brgy. Balang-balang and San Antonio, in Remedios T. Romualdez (RTR), Agusan del Norte.
The activity was attended by members of the Balang-balang Banana Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (BABAFAC) and San Antonio Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (SAFACO), along with the resource speaker from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Agusan del Norte.
With the notable increase in abaca and vegetable production in Barangay San Antonio, and banana and egg production in Barangay Balangbalang, along with their strong potential for further growth, the SAAD Area Coordinator of Agusan del Norte recognized the need to strengthen the associations’ capabilities in enterprise management
These include improving record-keeping, costing and pricing strategies, inventory monitoring, and market positioning to ensure profitability and sustainability.
As part of the training, participants were introduced to Peddler, a free mobile app that provides Point-of-Sale (POS) systems designed and applicable for micro, small, medium enterprise. Peddlr ?
The app enables users to easily manage inventory, track sales, and record expenses even without internet connectivity, making it suitable for rural enterprise operations like in BABAFAC and SAFACO.
Serving as a digital business assistant, the application provides automated stock alerts and product suggestions, helping farmers make rightful and data-driven based decisions on inventory replenishment.
Additionally, Peddler features built-in analytics and reporting tools that generate daily, weekly, and monthly profit and loss reports that are important to farmers to monitor cash flow, identify high-performing products, capabilities that are often difficult to achieve through traditional manual recording.
Beyond financial management, the training emphasized the importance of building a digital presence.
Farmers were encouraged to utilize social media platforms such as Facebook not only for communication but as a strategic marketing tool to promote their products, engage customers, and expand their market reach beyond their local communities.
Participants were also introduced to the proper and secure use of digital payment platforms such as GCash and Maya, enabling faster, more convenient, and reliable transactions. The integration of digital payments was highlighted as a key step toward improving customer experience and streamlining business operations.
For participants like Benido M. Yanoga Jr., member and business manager of SAFACO, the activity marked an important step toward digital transformation among farmers’ associations. By adopting these tools, associations can ensure more transparent, organized, and comprehensive monitoring and reporting of their operations.
“This training helps us adapt to the changes brought by the digital age. It may be challenging at first glance, especially for us who are not that immersed with technology, but we recognized the need to adapt and innovate because this is what we needed. Using these application tools will greatly improve how we monitor and record our sales and overall business status,” he said.
SAAD Caraga will continue to empower farmers’ associations by promoting the use of digital tools in marketing and strengthening enterprise management to ensure they remain competitive amid evolving market trends.
