BACOLOD CITY — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) – Negros Occidental II has launched another farm business school (FBS) project in southern Negros.
The agency formalized its partnership with La Carlota’s city government and the Estela Agrarian Reform Cooperative based in Barangay San Miguel for the project implementation on Tuesday.
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Lucrecia Taberna, who signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) on behalf of DAR, said through the program, the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) can develop entrepreneurial skills for the effective management of their farm produce and to optimize their profitability.
The MOA was also signed by La Carlota City executive assistant Edgardo Canlas and Estela Agrarian Reform Cooperative chairman Nelson Agotmo, with Edna Villanueva, chief agrarian reform program officer, as witness.
The on-site multi-level training program, composed of 25 sessions, will be attended by about 30 farmer-members of the identified ARB organization.
The training will capacitate farmer-beneficiaries in developing sustainable enterprises and enhance the competitiveness of their produce in the market.
“Aside from making their farms profitable, we want to make them understand the strategies of business so that they can respond to market challenges,” Taberna said.
Under the agreement, the city government will provide technical and marketing support through coaching, mentoring, and provision of vegetable seedlings and other farm inputs while the farmers will conduct benchmarking, market surveys, and market matching with prospect buyers.
Canlas said the city government will work closely with the DAR and beneficiary-organization to ensure the successful implementation of the project.
The DAR-Negros Occidental II has conducted FBS training in other areas in southern Negros since last year.
Last June, a total of 62 farmer-beneficiaries — 32 from the Magballo Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries and Farmers Association in Barangay Magballo, Kabankalan City, and 30 from the Jon De Ysasi Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Barangay Palayog, Hinigaran town –graduated from the FBS training.
In November last year, 106 trainees were the first to graduate — 35 ARBs from the Bagong Silang Farmers Association in Barangay Tuguis, Hinigaran; 31 from the General Malvar Agrarian Reform Cooperative and Kauswagan Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Barangay General Malvar, Pontevedra; and 40 ARBs from the Manlucahoc Agrarian Reform Cooperative in Barangay Manlucahoc, Sipalay City. (PNA)
