THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Occidental-North has assisted the officers and members of Lilia I Farmworkers Association in Cadiz City in crafting policies and conducting business plans through an on-site hands-on training recently.

A total of 62 farmer-beneficiaries of the agrarian reform beneficiary organization (Arbo) were trained and assisted in crafting policy systems and procedures (PSPs) to establish, develop and set clear guidelines for their farm business operations.

The activity included identifying market opportunities in the area, determining possible business bottlenecks, and running risk analyses to target a stable income and revenue for the association.

Financial management, records keeping for non-financial transactions, policy development, forecasting a five-year development plan, and determining the fees and charges were also conducted during the training.

These activities are prerequisites for a turn-over of common service facility (CSF) scheduled this year as stated in the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the organization and the DAR.

The organization is managing an aggregate of 59-hectare sugarcane plantation at Barangay Cadiz Viejo.

The DAR, through its Program Beneficiaries Development Division (PBDD), works for development and support services interventions by the provision of training programs as well as construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure facilities.

Access of ARB households to basic social services is also being provided to ensure holistic support for the farmer-beneficiaries, the agency said.

Meanwhile, DAR-Negros Occidental I has established an excel-based accounting system to the officers of Hacienda Estrellas Farmworkers Association also in the said city.

This was also through an on-site hands-on training held recently.

Fourteen Arbo members and their respective families will benefit from the capacity development training provided by the DAR as it continues to educate its different assisted farmer associations across northern part of the province.

The cooperative is managing a 20-hectare Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP)-financed sugarcane plantation at Barangay Tiglawigan.

DAR-Negros Occidental, in a statement said, the training aims to assist the organization in managing their financial records and come up with an accurate financial statement.

These are part of the requirements for the submission of the annual reports to the reportorial regulating agencies, it said.

"It is also aimed at analyzing the financial status of the association and guide them in preparing a plan of payment to the said APCP loan in partnership with the Land Bank of the Philippines," it added.*