BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 27 -- In an effort to help abaca farmers increase their income, a total of 868 abaca-farmers were beef up with series of capacity building that reached up to 35 series of sessions implemented under the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) of Agusan del Norte’s Project Convergence on Value Chain Enhancement for Rural Growth and Empowerment (ConVERGE).
The participants were composed of some 352 agrarian reform beneficiaries, 516 small-holder farmers, 78 Indigenous People (IPs) consisting of 47 women and 31 males. Of the total count of 868 participants, 488 or 56% are women involved.
PARPO II Andre B. Atega, CESO V, lauded the performance of the project ConVERGE team citing the last year 2020 accomplishment that aimed to support the value chain implementation of the abaca farmer-groups to raise their living standards.
Under the project, the series of trainings comprised of Abaca Production Technology, Fiber Craft Trainings and Equipment, Value Addition and Diversification-Abaca Pulp and Paper, Market and Investment Facilitation, Rural Finance Facilitation and Ginger production, among others, he said.
Project Coordinator Annelyn R. Chan of DAR Planning and Monitoring Evaluation Unit (PMEU) said, that out of 18 trainings targeted last year, the project reached up to thirty-five trainings or 194% in its performance in advancing the endeavors of abaca farmer-organizations that could bring positive long-term results to improve productivity and income.
She noted that the project ConVERGE was able to deliver last year’s target trainings despite the government act their restrictions due to coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The project did not cease to provide support to the abaca farmers.
“The provision of abaca production technology trainings provided focused on good agricultural practices in partnership with the PhilFIDA, which coached the ARB Organizations on how to improve fiber quality attributed to a higher price and income,” Chan said. (Gil E. Miranda, DAR Agusan del Norte/PIA Agusan del Norte)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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