DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 3 Aug) – The Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) said it has earmarked some P212 million for enterprise development that can be accessed by farmers and fisherfolks until next year.
PRDP-Mindanao information unit head Sherwin Manual told reporters Wednesday that their Investments in Rural Enterprise and Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity (I-REAP) targets a total of 116,000 farmers nationwide, and 15,000 of them will be in Mindanao.
He said they have so far approved a total of 73 enterprise projects worth P184.2 million, and implemented 8 projects so far.
One of the PRDP’s enterprise program beneficiaries is Cacao grower Subasta Multipurpose Cooperative (SMPC) in Calinan, Davao City, who received a financial boost worth P9.5 million.
Manual said the program beneficiaries will identify the kind of project that needs financing support from the PRDP based on their Provincial Commodities Investment Plan.
“If we generate on farm income, they will have other incomes, they can buy motorcycles and put up sari-sari stores,” he said.
Manual said they hope to create a ripple effect on other members of the community upon completion of the enterprise projects.
Under the I-REAP program, he said they aim to strengthen and develop viable agri-fishery based enterprises through efficient value chains of key agricultural and fishery products in targeted project areas.
“It also aims to elevate agricultural production by installing production and market support facilities, establishing enterprises and upscaling product at the appropriate commodity value chain,” he said.
The objectives of this program are to increase smallholder groups operating viable enterprises; to enhance producer productivity through formalized arrangements for marketing and technical services; and to increase smallholder and fishery resilience to climate change and adverse weather condition.
Based on their agreement with the World Bank, he said they want their projects to result in a 5-percent increase of farmers’ income annually; 7-percent increase in the value of marketed output; 20-percent increase in access of farmers to DA services; 30-percent increase in incomes of those direct beneficiaries of their enterprise development programs.
The PRDP is a six-year national government platform for an inclusive, value chain, oriented and climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries sector. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
