Saturday, August 16, 2008 84 communities, 212 SMEs get support from Carp
ANGELES CITY -- About 84 agricultural communities and 212 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been getting assistance from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
DTI Regional Director Blesila Lantayona said this is part of the department's mandate as one of the key agencies implementing the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp).
Under the Carp, the DTI is tasked to provide support services to farmer-beneficiaries by organizing them into cooperatives or associations. Farmers are also undergoing entrepreneurial and skills training and financial brokering under the program.
Lantayona said the DTI was instrumental in the establishment of the 212 SMEs in Central Luzon, particularly in building their capability from the production of raw materials, trading, processing and marketing.
She added that because of the DTI's continuous support and inspiration, the farmer-beneficiaries became entrepreneurs and "learned the ropes" of their respective industries.
At present, some of the products of these SMEs are already available in leading department stores, Lantayona said.
Nueva Ecija Province produces veggie noodles, dairy products, slippers, cogon craft, cucumber, mushroom and furniture while SMEs is Tarlac are now selling crochet/knitted products, ylang-ylang essence, chichacorn, sweet potato products, muscovado, and fresh mangoes.
The farmer-beneficiaries in Zambales are now selling processed fruits, pastilles, ginger products, camote products, fresh and processed mango and Bulacan farmers produces sabutan bags, dairy products, pastillas, bakey products, sukang paombong, and meat products.
In Pampanga, farmer-beneficiaries developed cassava products for feeds, aqua culture, hog raising, buntal hats/bags, bankwang weaving, bottle wine holder sub-contracting, and processed meat production while Bataan has been known for their cashew processing, coffee production, lasa broom making, fruits and vegetable processing, and buko pie making.
Aurora, on the other hand, is now marketing its world-class Sabutan products, coffee, coco vinegar, corn, and furniture.
Republic Act 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program of 1988 was created under the revolutionary government led by then President Corazon Aquino.
The key phrases on the declaration of policies of the state are promotion of social justice, sound rural development and industrialization, equitable distribution and ownership of land, and protection of farmers' rights.
The ultimate goal of Carp is to reduce poverty, increase agricultural productivity and encourage investments in rural areas.
Carp is now considered the most ambitious program of the National Government on agriculture. It has said that out of the country's total land area of 29.8 million hectares, the arable land and permanent crops consists of 10.7 million hectares.
Since 1972, Carp's total land distribution was pegged at 6.578 million hectares while the farmer-beneficiaries reached 4.05 million. The National Government has also spent almost P200 billion for Carp since its implementation in 1988. (RGN)
