Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. recently led a visit to the demonstration farm of the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) under the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund.

The demo farm serves as a regional hub for agricultural training, research and extension services, equipping farmers, agricultural officers and students with up-to-date knowledge and practical skills.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and TTM are collaborating on the Agri-Cluster Consolidation and Cooperation (ACCC) project, which supports farmer cooperatives by providing farm inputs, seedlings, and agricultural facilities. The ACCC project also introduces a high-value crop production model, strengthens agricultural resilience and disaster reduction systems, and integrates digital tools to improve promotional efficiency.

A major beneficiary of the ACCC project is the Sembrano Climate Resilient Farmers Agriculture Cooperative, which comprises 140 members cultivating a total of 134.87 hectares for rice production and 60 hectares for onion production. The cooperative is certified under the Philippine Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) for both rice and vegetable production.

Through the collaboration between the DA and TTM, Sembrano farmers achieved GAP certification for rice and vegetable production in December. The ACCC project aims to diversify from rice production into vegetable farming by introducing crop rotation into their system, allowing farmers to plant vegetables that can improve their cash flow.

For example, farmers can earn P200,000 per production cycle (four months) by planting tomatoes on a 1,000-square-meter plot or P80,000 per production cycle (eight months) by planting chili peppers.