CARD-BDSFI pledges to help more farmer-clients in its 14th anniversary

CARD-Business Development Services Foundation, Inc. (CARD-BDSFI), the marketing, product development, and agricultural arm of CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), celebrated its 14th anniversary on February 18, 2022.

To commemorate its founding in 2008, CARD-BDSFI President and Chief Executive Officer Frederick Nicasio M. Torres looked back on their achievements and looked forward to innovations in the years to come.

“For the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic brought destructive effects on businesses, particularly on small and medium enterprises. Fortunately, we have navigated through our mission of helping our clients, especially our farmer-clients,” Torres said as he enumerated how CARD-BDSFI worked closely with CARD MRI clients and their businesses.

Aside from creating linkages and partnerships with different private agencies, government units, and local communities, CARD-BDSFI maximized the use of digital platforms, like Facebook, launching CARD-BDSFI Organic Demo Farm to encourage the online community to try simple organic farming at home.

“Since July 2021, we have been providing information on backyard farming through our Agri-Kaalaman webinar series to encourage sustainable food production and help the community start their own businesses,” Torres shared. Agri-Kaalaman is a monthly webinar that shows basic, do-it-your-own procedures on how to nurture plants and protect crops from infestation.

Further, Torres also shared the progress of their farm development in Bay, Laguna. “Basically, we utilized an existing farm of CARD MRI and converted it into productive agricultural land. We are excited to announce that we are 50% into the development. Currently, we are already cultivating orchards, building plant nurseries, and producing raw materials. We are also planting calamansi and mango, and we are looking forward to its completion.”

Innovate to Motivate

In its continuous pursuit to help farmer producers, input sellers, and buyers, CARD-BDSFI is also in the works for an agri-mobile application called “Farmex” that aims to help farmers purchase fertilizers and other farm inputs using the digital platform.

“These are just some of our innovations to motivate our clients, especially our CARD MRI farmer-clients, to move forward and advance alongside our new-found technologies. Here at CARD-BDSFI, we would also like to encourage our clients that in the midst of drought, there will be a season for reaping a great harvest, just like in farming,” Torres concluded.

CARD-BDSFI is one of the institutions of CARD MRI that is committed to provide market assistance, market access, business training and seminars, as well as product development and promotions for its clients. It is also known to aid CARD clients in processing their applications with the Department of Trade and Industry, Barangay Micro Business Enterprise, and the Food and Drug Administration among others. Aside from this, CARD-BDSFI supports farmer-clients by conducting activities related to organic farming such as Agri-Kaalaman. To know more about the next Agri-Kaalaman webinar, visit @cardbdsfidemofarm on Facebook.