Pangasinan ARBs reap benefits of collective marketing

Farmers from Bani-based Rang-Ay Upland Integrated Farmers Association (RUIFAI) and Agno-based Macabansa Agrarian Reform Cooperative (ARC) are reaping the rewards of collective marketing. In March and April 2024 alone, they sold a combined P394,277.11 worth of mung beans to Nutridense Food Manufacturing Corporation.

 

RUIFAI and Macabansa ARC are just two of Pangasinan's beneficiaries under the Department of Agrarian Reform's Linking Smallholder Farmers to Market and Microfinance (LinkSFarMM) project. LinkSFarMM empowers farmers through a "clustering approach," where they work together to market their produce collectively.

 

This approach grants farmers greater negotiating power, leading to increased profits and the ability to secure contracts with institutional buyers like Nutridense. LinkSFarMM also equips farmers with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate collective marketing and negotiations, ensuring their long-term success. (MD)