THE dwindling number of farmers in the City of Pampanga has prompted mayoralty candidate Vilma Caluag to draft possible programs to help farmers and provide a stable supply chain for their produce.
Caluag said that she is saddened by the dwindling number of farmers in the city and even decreasing number of farmlands here.
The mayoralty aspirant, who is also barangay captain of Dolores and a member of the City Council, said that urban development should meet halfway with the need to maintain a considerable farming sector in the city.
“Farmers here told me of their problems in terms of loans and financing as well as being provided with a direct access to the market chain. I believe farmers should be more empowered in terms of how they are going to market their produce as well as given access to financial support,” Caluag said.
Caluag is pushing to make farmers of this city into agri-entrepreneurs.
She added that to protect farmers from middle men and to enable them to command better market prices, farmers should be given the skills and know-how in terms of marketing and diversifying their agricultural options.
The mayoralty-aspirant added that farmers should form groups and look after one another in order to create a considerable representation in the city.
She added farmers must realize that as future farmer entrepreneurs they will look at farms as businesses.
“They should be willing to take calculated risks to make their farms profitable for their own business growth,” Caluag added.