LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in the Cordillera held a training on Corn Cluster Development from June 4-7 at the Sab-atan Hall, DA-ATI-CAR, La Trinidad, Benguet.
The four-day training aimed to increase more corn clusters in the region that are enrolled in the Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation (F2C2) program.
This F2C2 program pushes to produce empowered and prosperous farming and fishing clusters through developing and funding development plans; establishing market facilitation and linkage; and delivering capacity building and extension support.
Inez Bongalon from the Office of the Municipal Agriculture of Aguinaldo, Ifugao expressed gratitude to the training organizers for including them as participants in the training that will help them improve the status of farmers in the region. “Thank you for calling us to this training because this is really an opportunity for our farmers to attend such activities. Thank you, ATI-CAR, for your initiative to plan and conduct this training for our farmers to be enhanced. Thank you also to the DA-RFO. Thank you very much that we really can say that the government has not forgotten our farmers,” she shared.
In 2020, the DA identified clustering and consolidation as one of key strategies to level up the Philippine agriculture sector.
The Department vigorously pushes farm clustering and consolidation as one of the key strategies to level up the Philippine agriculture sector. Farmers Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) are highly encouraged to organize themselves to attain economies of scale and to optimize the interventions and assistance provided by the government. It is also easier, more efficient, and effective for the DA to deal with cooperatives or organizations than with individual farmers when it comes to providing training, technologies, and inputs.
