Upland farm produce from Antique, NegOcc featured in trade exhibit

Beneficiaries of the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) brought their fresh and value-added agri-fishery products from the hinterlands of Antique and Negros Occidental to a 3-day Trade Fair and Exhibit at Robinsons Place Iloilo and DA Satellite office in Bacolod City.

The trade fair was part of the SAAD Saga Western Visayas from Nov 10 to 11, seeking to provide an avenue for the farmers’ associations to market their products supported by SAAD since its inception in the region in 2019.

Two booths were also provided to SAAD fisherfolk beneficiaries of DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Participating in the trade exhibit in Iloilo City are members of Bugnay Irrigators’ Association, Inc. and Tigmamale Valderrama Irrigators’ Association from Valderrama, Antique; Samahan kang Mangunguma kag Mamumugon kang Agricula, and Aningalan Farmers Irrigators’ Association, Inc. from San Remigio; and Ratanila Cluster Level Association and Liberato Farmers’ Association from Laua-an.

Meanwhile, SAAD-membered associations from Salvador Benedicto, Calatrava, and Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental set up their agri-fishery booths in Bacolod City. Assorted vegetables and value-added farm products of Pandanon Integrated Upland Small Farmers’ Association, Purok Locsin Farmers and Farmworkers’ Association, Barangay Ani-e Small Farmers’ Association, Lipat-on Integrated Small Fisherfolk’s Association, and Bungahin Irrigators’ Association, Inc. are on display until today, Nov 12.

DA Western Visayas OIC-Regional Technical Director for Operations and Extension Engr. Jose Albert A. Barrogo posed the challenge among SAAD recipients to determine their ways to ensure the project’s sustainability.

“It is expected that the program is not permanent. After the program implementation, the farmers’ associations should know how to sustain these projects and opportunities delivered by DA. Develop and manage your association properly, and level up into being agri-entrepreneurs,” said Barrogo during the opening activity in Iloilo City.

As the DA underscores farm clustering and consolidation as strategies in the project distribution supporting One DA Reform Agenda in transforming the Philippine agriculture, Barrogo urged SAAD recipients to draw inspiration from the region’s successful farmers’ associations who followed the said approach.

“I hope that we could generate more successful FAs with SAAD interventions. The DA is creating the opportunities that you should expand and develop,” he added.

“Paagi sa bulig sang SAAD, nangin matawhay kag masulhay ang mga pangabuhi sang tawo tungod halos tanan nga ginhatag nila napuslan namon. Ginahimuan namon sang policy agud mapapag-on pa guid ang mga proyekto kag para ang tanan nga miyembro maka benepisyo,” said Ike Gregorio, president of Samahan kang Mangunguma kag Mamumugon kang Agricula in San Remigio, Antique.

His association has obtained significant farm yield owing to the SAAD projects they received, including certified rice seeds, vegetable seeds, fertilizer, native land chicken, egg layer production, carabao, and farm implements.

On Nov 11, DA conducted a SAAD Saga Partners’ Forum in Iloilo City and Bacolod City to discuss and address key problems in the project implementation and identify approaches for improved product promotion involving the project partners and stakeholders.

The DA also recognized six best performing farmers associations from Antique and Negros Occidental that will receive P75,000.00 proposal-based project grants each as incentives.

Launched in 2019 in Western Visayas, the DA-SAAD rendered different support to boost the agri-fishery enterprises of upland farmers from the poorest municipalities in Antique and Negros Occidental.

The program envisioned uplifting the income and living status of farmers from far-flung locations and improving their household food consumption by 2022. (Sheila Mae H. Toreno/DA Western Visayas Information Section)