DAR INTENSIFIES VEGETABLE FARMING IN OTON, ILOILO: TURNS-OVER FARM TOOLS AND MATERIALS TO A FARMER COOPERATIVE

The Department of Agrarian Reform Iloilo in the aim to diversify, expand and intensify  production of vegetables in Oton, Iloilo, had distributed a total of Php 271,095.00 worth of trainings and farm tools and materials to Oton Farmers Producer Cooperative this 2022.

Under the Diversification and Expansion of Vegetable Production of Linking Small Holder Farmers to Market with Microfinance (LinkSFarMM) Project funded by the LinkSFarMM augmentation fund of DAR Central Office, the Oton Farmers Producer Cooperative received Php 271,095.00 worth of project. This includes Php 37,200.00 worth of trainings or capability building for its members and Php 233,895.00 worth of farm tools and materials to include 31 pcs of drum, and the same number of rolls net, rolls hose and nozzles. With these turned-over farm tools and materials, the issue on having insufficient vegetable production supply due to lack of water for irrigation and garden tools and equipment to support production will be answered.

The given project will be implemented and managed by the Oton Farmers Producers Cooperative with the technical guidance and monitoring of the Department of Agrarian Reform and the -Municipal Agriculture Office in Oton, Iloilo as the technology provider. 

The Oton Farmers Producers Cooperative is one of the DAR assisted organization under the LinkSFarMM Project with 43 farmer members clustered into three (3). Registered with Cooperative Development Authority in October 2019, the organization continuously received support from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) through provision of capability development and technological trainings.   Each farmer cluster members has its own area planted into different type of vegetables   such as kangkong, lemon grass, chives, red onion, sili (labuyo, sili long), tomatoes, “pakbet” vegetables, papaya, malunggay and other seasonal vegetables.

With Agroenterprise Development (AED) through clustering approach of the LinkSFarMM project, the members of the organization collectively market their produce. The project on the other hand, will eventually strengthen the supply base of the said farmer cooperative to widen and sustain the supply requirement of their market.

As one of the vegetable producers in Iloilo Province, among its institutional buyers are the BJMP of Pavia, Iloilo, Lechon Haus, Iloilo Supermart, Local Supermarket and grocery stores, Herbes Enterprise (Hutani Bazaar, Deocampo, Glory's Cafe), Local Traders in Bacolod City (Art Dureza (Private-Bacolod City Outlet) and other local markets.  This is successfully done through the help of the Southern Iloilo Area Multipurpose Cooperative’s as partner cooperative in LinkSFarMM project.

During the turn-over ceremony, Hon. Vice Mayor Vicente B. Flores, Jr. encouraged the young farmers to venture into agriculture. He further acknowledged the successful partnership of the Department of Agrarian Reform, the Department of Agriculture and the Oton Local Government Unit. “The needed supplies and materials of the farmers are very vital to their lives. Farmers are the unsung heroes in our country!”, he added.

Representing the OIC-Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Harriet A. Loot of the DAR Province of Iloilo during the activity, Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer (CARPO) of the Program Beneficiaries Development Division (PBDD) Celina C. Candoleta encouraged the cooperative members to sustain their organization and likewise, to intensify ARB membership and sales in order for them to avail more assistance and capital for their vegetable farming. She also gave emphasis in recognizing the original/pioneer farmers involved in LinkSFarMM project in Oton, Iloilo in 2015.

CARPO Leonor Juliet J. Lena of DARRO VI on the other hand, congratulated the beneficiaries of the project and inspire the farmers to become proud of who they are. “Take good care of the farm tools and materials given to you. Show to others that you are happy of being a farmer and let us teach our children on how to plant and become farmers. Also, let us love and cultivate fully our awarded lands” she added.

Vegetable production is a profitable business not only for farmers with financial capacity but of smallholder and marginal farmers as well.  Even in small scale production, the farmers in Oton have potential earnings throughout the year by venturing into vegetable farming. In fact, vegetables found in Iloilo City markets and supermarkets are mostly produced by smallholders farmers located in various barangays of Oton. The members of the Oton Farmers Cooperative are very grateful for the support they have acquired though the partnership of the DAR, DA and the Local Government Unit of Oton, Iloilo.