COTABATO CITY – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) officially opened its Farm Business School (FBS) program in three (3) towns of Maguindanao on March 30-31 and April 1.
The three selected beneficiaries are the Bunawan Tri-People Marketing Cooperative in Datu Paglas Municipality with 30 farmer enrollees, Mamalu Tabunaway Descendants Organization in Datu Odin Sinsuat with 25 enrollees, and the Maaden Irrigators Association in Datu Saudi Ampatuan with 20 enrollees.
MAFAR-Maguindanao Provincial Director Ronjamin Maulana, PhD., Chief of Agrarian Reform Nur-amin Caludtiag, Senior Agrarian Reform Program Officer Samina Ambolodto, and Supervising Agrarian Reform Program Officer Bai Shaharazad Lidasan led the launching of the program.
“This Farm Business Program is like an educational system designed to learn techniques on how can farmers maximize their product utilization in order to earn more profit from their agricultural products, learn marketing strategies, and other opportunities solely to uplift the farmers living conditions,” said Lidasan.
Meanwhile, Ambolodto said “MAFAR-Maguindanao is looking forward to the cooperation and participation of FBS enrollees to develop their knowledge and skills on agricultural business aspects and allot their time to study so that the program’s purpose will become beneficial to them.”
Along with the launching activity was the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the key officials of the local government units to get their commitment in supporting the program and in helping farmer-beneficiaries increase their income.
In line with the national program of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), FBS program is designed to capacitate local farmers to develop their entrepreneurial skills and teach them how to access the market and develop agricultural products.
The program also encourages smallholder farmers or fisherfolks to join the business school even if they do not have their own land. (Kasan M. Usop, Jr./BIO)
