Strengthening Rice-Based Enterprises through Capacity Building

Thu, 05/15/2025 - 09:54
Strengthening Rice-Based Enterprises through Capacity Building

The Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Training Institute Regional Training Center I (DA-ATI RTC 1), in collaboration with the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), conducted a five-day intensive training on Farm Business School (FBS) for Rice-Based Enterprises for farmer leaders from April 21 to 25, 2025, at Brgy. Ayaoan, Luna, La Union. The activity forms part of the support for the Rice Business Innovation System (RiceBIS) initiative in the region.

The training aimed to build the capacity of farmers to manage rice-based enterprises by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to treat farming not just as a means of subsistence, but as a sustainable and profitable business. A total of 31 participants, including 30 farmer-members of the Ayaoan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC) and one agriculture student, took part in the training.

Strengthening Rice-Based Enterprises through Capacity Building

Subject matter experts from Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) served as resource persons. Dr. Errol John Valdez and Ms. Carmela Adriatico of MMSU, along with Ms. Corazon Bringas (DAR) and Ms. Jeimelie Constantino (ATI), led the discussions on values formation, transformational leadership, entrepreneurial mindset, market survey, record-keeping, cost and return analysis, and business planning.

Strengthening Rice-Based Enterprises through Capacity Building
Strengthening Rice-Based Enterprises through Capacity Building

A key feature of the training was the use of participatory and experiential learning methods, including workshops, group activities, and simulation games, that allowed participants to apply business concepts in real-life farm scenarios. The training concluded with the presentation of individual farm business plans and re-entry strategies, reinforcing the participants’ commitment to applying their learnings and contributing to the growth of their cooperative and community.

Through this initiative, DA-ATI RTC 1 and its partners seek to foster agripreneurship and enhance the capacity of farmers in RiceBIS communities to build sustainable, market-oriented enterprises that contribute to local food security and rural economic development.

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