As farmer associations move forward with their livelihoods under the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program Phase 2, the program is taking another look at what they need to sustain and build on their progress.
Through a series of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) cum Social Preparation Assessment and Enterprise Assessment, DA-SAAD Ilocos is reassessing participating farmer and livelihood associations to determine their current resources, capabilities, challenges and remaining needs — information that can help guide the program’s succeeding support.
The reassessments were conducted on Aug. 25–26, Sept. 1–2, Sept. 3–4, Sept. 22–23, Sept. 24–25 and Sept. 29–30, reaching associations in Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan.
Among those engaged were the Paratong Farmers Association in Sta. Catalina, Ilocos Sur; Sinabugan Farmers Association in Bagulin, La Union; United Barangay San Antonio Sto. Tomas Farmers Association Inc. in Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan; Taripnong Dagiti Mannalon ti Barangay Lapting Inc. in Nagbukel, Ilocos Sur; Barangay Sto. Rosario Farmers Association in Sigay, Ilocos Sur; and Phil-Lead Farmers Association in Lidlidda, Ilocos Sur.
The activity was facilitated by Regional OPBME–MAED Alternate Lead Diana D. Cascayan, together with SAAD Area Coordinators and staff. Through group discussions and participatory activities, the associations reviewed their existing resources, skills, experiences and livelihood activities, while also identifying organizational strengths and areas that may still need attention.
Unlike the initial beneficiary assessment conducted when the associations entered the program, the current process provides an opportunity to examine how their situation has evolved and what they may need moving forward.
The reassessment looks at more than the assistance already received. It considers the associations’ current capacity to manage livelihood activities, the resources they have developed, the challenges they continue to face and the opportunities they may be ready to pursue.
For the farmer groups, this process can help bring emerging concerns to the attention of the program. Needs may change as associations gain experience, encounter operational challenges or begin considering new livelihood or enterprise activities.
It also gives members an opportunity to reflect on what they have accomplished and what remains to be addressed. Through the discussions, they can identify resources that are already available within the organization, skills that can be further developed and gaps that may need additional support.
These findings will provide SAAD Ilocos with updated information that can be considered in planning succeeding interventions and determining what forms of assistance or capacity development may be appropriate for each association.
This is important because the needs of a farmer organization are not necessarily the same throughout its participation in a development program. An association may require basic production support at one stage, for example, but later need assistance related to enterprise management, processing, marketing, organizational development or other areas as its activities evolve.
For SAAD, the reassessment therefore serves as a way to keep program support responsive to the changing circumstances of its beneficiary organizations.
For the participating associations, it provides an opportunity to have their current situation heard and considered as the program moves into its next steps.
As DA-SAAD Phase 2 continues in Ilocos, the updated community-level information gathered through the assessments will help the program understand where the associations are now — and what support may help them move forward from where they currently stand. ###
