DAR turns over P2.2-M truck to power cacao farming in Sarangani

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) on Sunday turned over a P2.2-million hauling truck to the Glan Farmers Agrarian Reform Cooperative (GFARCO) to support its cacao enterprise.

The truck, funded under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project (CRFPSP) through the Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF), is expected to ease one of the cooperative’s biggest challenges—transporting cacao beans to the market despite poor roads and unpredictable weather.

“This will help us overcome one of our biggest challenges—getting our cacao beans from farm to market,” GFARCO Chairman Rodrigo Escoba said, adding that the truck will boost livelihoods and strengthen the cooperative’s trading operations.

DAR also rolled out the Village-Level Farm-focused Enterprise Development (VLFED) Project alongside the turnover, awarding GFARCO a P500,000 grant to upgrade its tablea (cacao chocolate) processing center. The assistance covers equipment improvements, packaging innovations, and branding support to help the cooperative meet market standards and broaden its reach.

DAR Sarangani Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO) II Oding B. Yusoph, JD, SCL, said the projects ensure both productivity and sustainability. “These interventions are not only about boosting current productivity, but also about ensuring resilience and sustainability for ARB enterprises. It’s about building businesses that last,” he said.

With the new hauling truck and upgraded facilities, GFARCO is expected to strengthen its foothold in the cacao industry, promote community development, and secure a more climate-resilient future for its farmer-members.