The newly established Farmer’s Center in this capital town now challenges the entrepreneurial capabilities of farmers who used to be only into farming.
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The Farmer’s Center, also called the Farmer’s Commodities and Small and Medium Entrepreneur Center, Inc. (FCSMECI) located in barangay Puguis, is a major breakthrough of farmers becoming entrepreneurs, according to Regional Technical Director of the Department of Agriculture – Cordillera Cameron Odsey.
The FCSMECI came into existence through the pooled efforts of seven cooperatives with financial support from the Cooperative Bank of Benguet. These seven coops are the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC), Buyagan Operators and Drivers Association MPC, Tomay Credit Cooperative, Bad-ayan Buguias Development MPC, Progressive Citizens MPC, Kibungan Employees MPC, and the Benguet Organic Cooperative Arabica Enterprises Ltd., Inc.
Odsey, who represented DA Secretary Proceso Alcala during the launching activities of the Farmer’s Center last November 28 said, “indeed our farmers in Cordilleras will only be at par with farmer entrepreneurs around the world if they are able to develop their entrepreneurial capacities.”
He said farmers traditionally would want to concentrate only on farming while traders will do the marketing for them and earn money from the products the farmers till.
He underscored that truly this is a way to go for farmers as entrepreneurs and be able to maximize their income.
Odsey expressed support to cooperatives to ensure that benefits will go to the most number of people in the communities. He likewise appreciated the incorporation of green innovations to ensure the sustainability of their business stressing that ”agriculture will only be sustainable if we go green.”
Odsey informed that DA’s 2012 budget if approved will get a lion’s share of about P57 billion, a 60 percent increase compared to the previous budget, of which two percent of the amount will be dedicated to Organic Agriculture.
Incidentally Alcala authored the Organic Agriculture Law of 2010 and as Secretary of Agriculture he is given the rare opportunity to implement the law he crafted, according to Odsey.
Odsey, who is also the concurrent Project Manager of the Cordillera Highland Agriculture Resources Management Program (CHARMP) II, said in the CHARMP II areas they encourage communities to go back to organic agriculture and engage into farming of traditional commodities such as rice, legumes.
He assured DA’s support to the gradual shifting of organic agriculture among farmers adding that they are looking into the Farmer’s Center as an organic agriculture facility.
According to Odsey, there are also several projects DA-CAR will implement to support the facility such as the development of high value crops, support to production at the community level such as quality production, provision of trainings and good agricultural practices, and market linkaging. - (PIA / by Susan Aro)
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