Small-Scale Farmers in Mindanao to Benefit from JICA-Funded Rural Infra Projects
The Japanese government has funded several infrastructure projects in order to help boost the agricultural production and food security in the country. And just recently, the beneficiaries of these projects are small-scale farmers from far-flung and conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.
Led by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), various rural infrastructures such as small irrigation, rural water supply, and rice and corn mills were turned over to the Municipality of Columbio, Sultan Kudarat and the irrigators’ and water users’ associations in Barangays Libertad, Sinapulan and Maligaya.
JICA is the executing agency of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA). It handles technical cooperation, loans and investment, grant aid, cooperation volunteers, as well as disaster relief programs.
Sustainable Agri for Mindanao
In a statement released by JICA, the agency said that the infrastructure program is part of their Mindanao Sustainable Agrarian and Agriculture Development (MinSAAD) that is being implemented by DAR.
The aim of the MinSAAD project is to boost agricultural productivity, product value, and income of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) and other small-scale farmers. These beneficiaries are located in 12 settlement areas in Regions 10, 11 and 12, which cover a total of seven provinces in Mindanao.
With a network of about 100 overseas offices including the Philippines, JICA is currently the world’s largest bilateral aid agency.
