Coops strengthens local rice production — PBBM tells DA
The expressway links Central and Northern Luzon and will serve as a vital link for the New Manila International Airport or NMIA in Bulacan
Daily TribuneThe expressway links Central and Northern Luzon and will serve as a vital link for the New Manila International Airport or NMIA in Bulacan
Cooperatives could be a fundamental tool of agricultural development to attain food security at farmer's level.
This is how President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. who concurrently heads the Department of Agriculture, would like to see the agency develop in overall efforts to strengthen local rice production.
The President said farmers as members of cooperatives have high participation in supporting their groups to make products or business activities.
Let's start the process of consolidating our farmers' associations, all that up to the point that we could plant on larger tracts of land. That is what we are trying to do," the president said while tapping the Cooperative Development Agency to consolidate rice farmers' cooperatives in enhancing local rice production.
Marcos has instructed the DA to spearhead the provision of training in management, business planning, accounting, bookkeeping and other programs to rice farmers cooperatives.
Farmers' training
"Give the farmers training, and let's provide techno-demo; the farmers know how to plant but they don't know management, business planning, accounting, bookkeeping" he added.
This way, the President explained, farmers get benefits from the business activity of cooperative in the forms of inputs supply (fertilizer, pesticide, etc.), credit or loan provision; and collective marketing.
Finding farmer leaders
"Let farmers organize in places where there are no cooperatives. The most important thing is to find a farmer leader whom the cooperative members will follow," the President ordered.
"The cooperatives are going to play a large part because you cannot talk to each farmer, but you can talk to the farmer leaders," he farther explained.
Marcos said he believes that increased productivity should be taken by farmers through the application of recommended technologies. Technology practices could be managed under the farmers' cooperative.
Cooperatives, according to the President, could respond to the market demand for production (certified seed) and the needs of farmers on agricultural inputs as he sees cooperatives have been successful in providing profit share with members aside from supporting food security through increased productivity.
During his campaign, the President said he is a "great believer" in cooperatives, because they served as the fastest way for information, programs and benefits to reach the farmers.