A TOTAL OF sixty-two agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the southern portion of Negros Occidental have graduated from the Farm Business School (FBS), a program of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) positioned to develop farmers as entrepreneurs and make their business operations profitable.

The graduates are composed of 32 ARBs from Magballo Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries and Farmers Association at Barangay Magballo in Kabankalan City, and 30 ARBs from Jon De Ysasi Agrarian Reform Cooperative at Barangay Palayog in Hinigaran town.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Lucrecia Taberna, who led the graduation rites at May's Organic Garden in Bacolod City yesterday, June 26, said FBS is an on-site entrepreneurial training and education that aims to capacitate farmers in farm technology and agribusiness.

Taberna said this is a realization and fulfillment of the memorandum of agreements entered by the DAR-Negros Occidental II and the local governments of Hinigaran and Kabankalan.

"Farmers were taught how to become entrepreneurs and how to manage farms as enterprises to improve their production," she added.

During the 25 sessions, which lasted for four months starting March this year, recipient-ARBs were trained on market survey, accounting, farm budget planning, benchmarking, and market forum and matching.

"To ensure sustainability, the DAR is just here to support all our farmer-beneficiaries especially in the delivery of various support services beneficial to the needs of their respective cooperatives and organizations," Taberna said.

For farmer Renato Diason of Magballo Agrarian Reform Beneficiary and Farmers Association, the batch’s highest honor student, said the training has opened many opportunities for him and fellow ARBs.

They are now equipped with entrepreneurial skills, knowledge, and values, he added.