P180-M aid to give boost to Agusan del Norte abaca farmers

Agusan del Norte’s emerging abaca industry is one to watch. The province received a P180-million fund to expand and develop its abaca industry as well as its related commodities in order to support local farmers, according to Joie L. Ceballos, regional spokesperson of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Ceballos noted that San Isidro Upland Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative (SIUFMULCO) and 20 other agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) in the municipalities of Jabonga, Kitcharao, Santiago, and Tubay will benefit from the support provided through Project ConVERGE (Convergence on Value Chain Enhancement for Rural Growth and Development).

Project ConVERGE, a US$52-million program implemented in ten provinces in Mindanao, is one of the two ongoing projects in Agusan del Norte that are financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It is focused on increasing the profitability of agrarian reform beneficiaries and small holder farmers.

Last May 5-6, IFAD officials and technical professionals visited the SIUFMULCO area. The delegates — consisting of Charlotte Salford, IFAD associate vice president for external relations and governance department, and Wei Wang, IFAD director for APL and special adviser to the IFAD president — were pleased with the success that SIUFMULCO has achieved through the years.

SIUFMULCO’s assets currently amounts to P30 million. The cooperative was formerly assisted by the Northern Mindanao Community Initiatives and Resource Management Project (NMCIREMP), which was implemented by DAR and financed by IFAD and the Rural Micro Enterprise Promotion Program (RuMEPP).

via Manila Bulletin / Mike Crismundo