THE Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Mafar-Barmm) announced Thursday, April 7, the official opening of its Farm Business School (FBS) program in three towns of Maguindanao province.
The three selected beneficiaries are the Bunawan Tri-People Marketing Cooperative in Datu Paglas Municipality with 30 farmer enrollees, Mamalu Tabunaway Descendants Organization in Datu Odin Sinsuat with 25 enrollees, and the Maaden Irrigators Association in Datu Saudi Ampatuan with 20 enrollees.
“This Farm Business Program is like an educational system designed to learn techniques on how can farmers maximize their product utilization in order to earn more profit from their agricultural products, learn marketing strategies, and other opportunities solely to uplift the farmers living conditions,” said Bai Shaharazad Lidasan, supervising Agrarian Reform Program officer of Maguindanao.
Lidasan along with Mafar-Maguindanao Provincial Director Ronjamin Maulana, Chief of Agrarian Reform Nur-amin Caludtiag, and Senior Agrarian Reform Program Officer Samina Ambolodto led the launching of the program.
“Mafar-Maguindanao is looking forward to the cooperation and participation of FBS enrollees to develop their knowledge and skills on agricultural business aspects and allot their time to study so that the program's purpose will become beneficial to them,” Ambolodto said.
Along with the launching activity was the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the key officials of the local government units to get their commitment in supporting the program and in helping farmer-beneficiaries increase their income.
The FBS program is designed to capacitate local farmers to develop their entrepreneurial skills and teach them how to access the market and develop agricultural products.
The program also encourages smallholder farmers or fisher folks to join the business school even if they do not have their own land. (SunStar Zamboanga)