Castriciones imparts value of sharing in learning fair

“Hindi namin sinasabi na kami lang ang may kaalaman para sa pagtuturo at pagpapaunlad ng agro-enterprise development (AED). Meron din kaming mapupulot sa inyo. We share because that is a good value.”

This was the message of Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary John R. Castriciones at the AED Knowledge and Learning Fair attended by 126 agrarian reform beneficiaries and smallholders farmers held recently in Cubao, Quezon City.

“’Pag nagse-share tayo, ibig sabihin, tayo ay nagkakaisa, tayo ay nagmamahalan, we care for each other. That is the best lesson that we can learn. We’ll be able to improve our lives and attain progress and peace in helping one another,” he added.

The event will be the venue for knowledge sharing and harvesting of significant experiences and learning of ARBs and smallholder farmers on agro-enterprise development implementation.

“We have around 42 project sites this year and we are intending to make it bigger, at least 150. That is the target of our department,” Castriciones said.

Linking Smallholder Farmers to Markets and Microfinance (LinkSFarMM) aims to increase agricultural productivity of its beneficiaries.

The AED approach serves as an effective model for agri-business firms and other companies that are looking for sustainable sources of agricultural products. It also helps microfinance institutions and cooperatives to better serve the needs of farmer-members.

“Dahil sa LinnSFarMM ng DAR napabuti at napalakas ang aming pagsasaka ng palay from planting to harvesting. Nagbigay ito ng mas malaking income sa mga farmers,” said Gemma Fructuoso Bacurayo, manager of Dujali Free Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Davao del Norte.

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