The Departments of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Trade and Industry (DTI), and Science and Technology (DOST) together with the local government unit (LGU) of Natividad, Pangasinan expressed their commitment to secure the Food and Drugs Administration-License to Operate (FDA-LTO) for the cassava processing business of the Calapugan Agrarian Reform Cooperative to ensure its smooth business operation and steady market for its product.

Pangasinan Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Maria Ana B. Francisco said this developed during the buy-in session the DAR conducted with its partner agencies to train the officers and members of the Calapugan Agrarian Reform Cooperative as part of the activities under the Village Level Farm-Focused Enterprise Development (VLFED) project of the DAR.

Francisco said the VLFED project conducts training to the farmers for product development, enhancement of managerial skills of the agrarian reform beneficiary organization (ARBO) leaders and helps ARBOs secure the FDA-LTO for their business.

“Apart from capacitating ARBO members to become successful agri-entrepreneurs, the DAR has allocated P300,000.00 to develop the processing facility of the cooperative,” she said.

Francisco said the members of the cooperative produce locally sourced cassava and processed this into cassava chips and cassava cake.

She noted that the ARBO-members were earlier trained by the DTI on product development, packaging and labeling, and digital marketing to upgrade their product. The DOST and the LGU, on the other hand, handled the site inspection and the development of the blueprint for its future processing center.

For year 2021, Francisco said that Calapugan, Natividad is targeted to become the cassava chips capital of Eastern Pangasinan, considering the presence of the Calapugan Agrarian Reform Cooperative headquarters in the area, which produces cassava and process it to become cassava chips and cassava cakes.

Francisco disclosed that at the height of the enhanced community quarantine, farmers in Pangasinan struggled to make a living, they thought of processing cassava crops to make its shelf-life longer and sell it at a higher price.

“At that time, the Calapugan Agrarian Reform Cooperative was one of the farmers’ groups in the area which the DAR approached to help. We thought that the VLFED project would benefit not only the cooperative's 90 members but also the cassava farmers in the town,” Francisco said.

Nangako ang Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), at local government unit (LGU) ng Natividad, Pangasinan ay nangakong tutulong upang mabigyan ng Food and Drugs Administration License to Operate (FDA-LTO) ang Calapugan Agrarian Reform Cooperative na nagpo-proseso ng cassava upang maseguro ang kanilang mas maayos na operasyon at mas matatag na merkado.

Ayon kay Pangasinan Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Maria Ana B. Francisco, sa isinagawang buy-in session na pinangunahan ng DAR kasama ang mga katuwang nitong ahensya, bibigyan ng pagsasanay ang mga opisyal at kasapi ng Calapugan Agrarian Reform Cooperative, bilang bahagi ng mga aktibidad sa ilalim ng proyekto ng DAR na Village Level Farm Focused Enterprise Development (VLFED).

Sinabi ni Francisco na ang proyektong VLFED ay nagsasagawa ng mga pagsasanay sa mga magsasaka para sa pagpapa-unlad ng kanilang mga produkto, pagpapahusay sa pamamahala ng mga pinuno at mga miyembro ng agrarian reform beneficiary cooperative (ARBO), at tinutulungan ang mga ARBO na makakuha ng FDA-LTO para sa kanilang negosyo.

“Bukod sa pagkakaloob ng mga pagsasanay sa mga miyembro ng ARBO upang sila ay maging matagumpay na agri-entrepreneurs, ang DAR ay naglaan ng P300,000.00 para maisaayos ang processing facility ng kooperatiba,” ani Francisco.

Sinabi ni Francisco na ang mga miyembro ng kooperatiba ay nagtatanim ng lokal na kamoteng kahoy at ito ay pinoproseso para maging cassava chip at cassava cake.

Ayon pa kay Francisco, ang mga kasapi ng ARBO ay nauna nang sumailalim sa pagsasanay ng DTI ukol sa product development, packaging and labeling, at digital marketing. Samantala, inaasikaso naman ng DOST at lokal na pamahalaan ang inspeksyon sa lugar at ang pagbubuo ng blueprint sa magiging processing center ng kooperatiba.

Idinagdag ni Francisco na ngayong 2021, target nila na gawing cassava chips capital ng Silangang Pangasinan ang Calapugan, Natividad, ngayon na magkakaroon na ng headquarters ang Calapugan Agrarian Reform Cooperative sa lugar para sa produksyon ng cassava chips at cassava cake.

Ayon kay Francisco, nahirapan ang mga magsasaka na kumita noong kasagsagan ng enhanced community quarantine sa Pangasinan kaya naisipan nilang i-proseso ang kanilang mga pananim na cassava upang mas tumagal ito at ibenta sa mas mataas na halaga.

“Sa pagkakataong ito, isa sa mga nilapitan ng DAR upang matulungan ay ang Calapugan Agrarian Reform Cooperative. Naisipan namin na ang proyektong VLFED ay mapakikinabangan hindi lamang ng mahigit na 90 miyembro nito kundi maging ng mga magsasaka ng cassava sa bayan,” pagtatapos ni Francisco.